Pilot Study of Preoperative Combined Modality Treatment for Locally Advanced Operable Oesophageal Carcinoma: Toxicities and Long-term Outcome

Oesophageal cancer: Which treatment is the easiest to swallow? A review of combined modality treatments for resectable carcinomas

Oesophageal cancer is a relatively uncommon malignancy, but with poor prognosis. Despite several treatment options that are available, the 5-year survival rates rarely exceed 40%. This review discusses the main challenges of oesophageal cancer, the available treatment options, and the most effective treatment in terms of overall survival. The outcomes of clinical trials show that neo-adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy using cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil followed by oesophagectomy results in the greatest survival. However, the optimal chemotherapy and radiotherapy schedule remains unclear. There is no satisfactory treatment to date, particularly for patients with co-morbidities or advanced tumours.

A single surgeon's series of transthoracic oesophageal resections

INTRODUCTION

Significant controversy persists over the optimum surgical management of oesophageal carcinoma. The authors report on a consecutive personal series of open transthoracic oesophageal resections.

METHODS

Data relating to resections performed between mid-1993 and the end of 2010 were analysed. Patient and tumour assessment evolved over this period. Preoperative chemotherapy in appropriate cases was introduced in 2002. A laparotomy and right lateral thoracotomy approach (Ivor-Lewis) was used. In all cases the pylorus was not interfered with, no attempt was made to perform a radical lymphadenectomy but surgical strategy was focused on producing an R0 resection and a hand sewn anastomosis was fashioned.

RESULTS

A total of 165 resections were performed; 130 patients (80%) were male. The median age was 66 years (range: 31-82 years). Eighty per cent had an adenocarcinoma. Sixty-four per cent of the tumours were T3/T4 and sixty-two per cent node positive. Forty patients (24%) had an involved circumferential resection margin (CRM). Five patients (3.0%) had no resection and a quarter (26%) developed morbidity of some form. There was one clinical anastomotic leak (0.6%) and three benign strictures requiring dilation (1.8%). In-hospital mortality was 3.0% (5 patients). Disease specific survival at one, two and five years was 77%, 42% and 36% respectively. Neither CRM involvement nor preoperative chemotherapy influenced survival significantly. No patient required intervention to disrupt the pylorus.

CONCLUSIONS

Excellent outcomes are achievable following open transthoracic oesophagectomy without radical lymphadenectomy using a hand sewn gastro-oesophageal anastomosis and without disrupting the pylorus.

Propensity score analysis of oesophageal cancer treatment with surgery or definitive chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND

The role of treatments involving surgery versus definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) for oesophageal cancer remains controversial.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with oesophageal cancer were studied. Those whose treatment involved surgery alone or who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy were compared with those receiving dCRT. Multiple regression models, including propensity scores, were developed to assess confounding factors associated with undergoing surgery or dCRT, and the risk-adjusted association between treatment and survival.

RESULTS

From a total of 727 patients, regression adjustment to control for bias created a cohort of 521 patients available for comparison (277 in the surgery group and 244 in the dCRT group). Local and distant recurrence rates were 10·1 and 22·0 per cent respectively after surgery, compared with 26·2 and 11·9 per cent following dCRT (P < 0·001). Median survival, and 2- and 5-year survival rates after surgery were 27 months, 53·8 and 31·0 per cent respectively, compared with 28 months, 54·2 and 31·9 per cent after dCRT (P = 0·918). On multivariable analysis, disease-free survival was related to endosonographic tumour category (hazard ratio (HR) 0·76, 95 per cent confidence interval 0·10 to 6·04 for T1; HR 1·57, 0·21 to 11·58 for T2; HR 2·12, 0·29 to 15·49 for T3; HR 3·07, 0·41 to 23·16 for T4; P = 0·003, in relation to T0 as reference), lymph node metastasis count (HR 1·10, 1·04 to 1·15; P < 0·001) and total disease length (HR 0·96, 0·93 to 1·00; P = 0·041).

CONCLUSION

There was no difference in survival after oesophageal cancer treatment involving surgery or dCRT.

Prevalence and outcome of esophagogastric anastomotic leak after esophagectomy in a UK regional cancer network

The aim of this study was to determine the contemporary prevalence, outcome, and survival after esophagogastric anastomotic leakage (EGAL) following esophagectomy by a regional upper gastrointestinal cancer network and to investigate etiological factors. Two hundred forty consecutive patients underwent esophagectomy over a 10-year period (median age 61 [31-79] years, 147 transthoracic and 93 transhiatal esophagectomy, 105 neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 49 chemoradiotherapy). The primary outcome measures were the development of EGAL and survival. Twenty patients developed EGAL (8.3%, 15 managed conservatively, 5 reoperation). Overall operative mortality was 2% (5 patients in total, 1 after EGAL). Median, 1 and 2-year survival was 22 months, 73% and 50%, in patients after EGAL, compared with 31 months, 80% and 56%, in patients who did not suffer EGAL (P= 0.314). On multivariate analysis, low body mass indices (hazard ratio [HR] 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.11-0.79, P= 0.016), individual surgeon (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.02-1.43, P= 0.02), and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR 3.28, 95% CI 1.16-9.22, P= 0.024) were significantly associated with the development of EGAL. EGAL following esophagectomy remained common, but associated mortality was less common than reported in earlier Western series and long-term survival was unaffected.

Prospective cohort comparison of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy in patients with oesophageal cancer

Background

Chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy are common neoadjuvant treatments for resectable T3 N0–1 M0 oesophageal carcinoma. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of these therapies in consecutive cohorts of patients.

Methods

Between January 1998 and December 2001, 88 patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (two cycles of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), prior to 45 Gy in 25 F concurrent radiotherapy with cisplatin and 5-FU). From 2002, 117 patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (76 patients had two cycles of cisplatin and 41 had four cycles of epirubicin, cisplatin and 5-FU). The primary outcome measure was survival, and analysis was by intention to treat.

Results

Postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 56 per cent (40 patients) and 10 per cent (seven patients) respectively in the chemoradiotherapy group, compared with 47 per cent (46 patients) and 1 per cent (one patient) in the chemotherapy group (P = 0·008). The cumulative 5-year survival rate by intention to treat was 35 per cent after chemoradiotherapy versus 21 per cent after chemotherapy (P = 0·188). The cumulative corrected 5-year survival rate after completed treatment was 44 per cent for chemoradiotherapy compared with 25 per cent for chemotherapy (P = 0·032).

Conclusion

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy should remain an option for patients with satisfactory performance status.