Esophageal Carcinoma: Current Controversial Topics

Surgery within multimodal therapy concepts for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC): the MRI approach and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Radical esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy remains the only curative therapy for patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC), however, combined treatment modalities may improve survival. Based upon more than 1300 consecutive esophageal resections, we present our current multidisciplinary ESCC approach with analysis in the context of recently published RCTs.

METHODS

Subject to tumor staging, patients with resectable ESCC receive either a neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (uT3N+) or are referred to primary surgery (uT1/2N0). By Medline searches (1997-2009), all published RCTs containing multimodal ESCC therapy concepts were identified and a systematic review was generated.

RESULTS

From July 2007 to June 2009, 62 patients with ESCC were treated in our department (40 multimodal treatment concept, 21 primary surgery, 1 definite radiochemotherapy). The R0 resection rate was 78%, in hospital mortality 4.8%. 60% of patients showed a good response to neoadjuvant treatment. 18-month follow-up data revealed absence of tumor recurrence in 7 patients (18%). Our approach is aligned to the current published literature including 12 studies in this review. In line with our institutional experience, neodjuvant radiochemotherapy tends to improve overall survival and increases the likelihood of R0 resection. However, postoperative morbidity and mortality rates are increased. Adjuvant treatment failed to demonstrate any improvement in prognosis. For palliation, concurrent radiochemotherapy is the treatment of choice.

CONCLUSION

The MRI approach can be aligned to the most recent published data. Surgical resection remains the principle treatment for patients with resectable ESCC. Although multimodal therapy concepts tend to improve survival rates, postoperative morbidity and mortality rates are increased.

Detection of survivin-expressing circulating cancer cells in the peripheral blood of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical significance

We previously demonstrated that the detection of circulating cancer cells (CCC) expressing survivin mRNA could provide valuable information for predicting recurrence in patients with breast, lung, gastric and colorectal carcinoma. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the detection of survivin-expressing CCC in the peripheral blood is also useful for predicting recurrence in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Blood samples obtained from 108 ESCC patients and 75 healthy volunteers were quantitatively investigated by a technique that detected reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction products based on a hybridization-enzyme linked immunosorbent essay. Not all of the patients were available for the follow-up study. Only 48 patients who were treated with similar adjuvant therapy regimens were available and followed-up for 33 months after the initial assay test. Survivin-expressing CCC were detected in 51 (47.2%) patients. The presence of survivin-expressing CCC was found to be significantly associated with depth of invasion, vascular invasion, nodal status, and disease stages (P = 0.032, 0.019, 0.018, and 0.001, respectively). During the follow-up period, patients who had positive survivin expressions had a higher relapse rate and a shorter survival time than those who had negative survivin expressions (P = 0.002 and 0.016, respectively). Examination of survivin-expressing CCC could provide valuable information in the prediction of haematogenous recurrence as well as in the prognosis of ESCC.

Incidence and survival for gastric and esophageal cancer diagnosed in British Columbia, 1990 to 1999

BACKGROUND

Geographical variation and temporal trends in the incidence of esophageal and gastric cancers vary according to both tumour morphology and organ subsite. Both diseases are among the deadliest forms of cancer. The incidence and survival rates for gastric and esophageal carcinoma in British Columbia (BC) between 1990 and 1999 are described.

METHODS

Incidence data for the period 1990 to 1999 were obtained from the BC Cancer Registry. Age-adjusted incidence and survival rates were computed by anatomical subsite, histological type and sex. All rates were standardized to the 1996 Canadian population. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was used to measure incidence changes over time. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to show survival rates, and log-rank tests were used to test for differences in the curves among various groups.

RESULTS

Between 1990 and 1999, 1741 esophageal cancer cases and 3431 gastric cancer cases were registered in BC. There was an increase in the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus over time (EAPC=9.6%) among men, and of gastric cardia cancer among both women (EAPC=9.2%) and men (EAPC=3.8%). Patients with proximal gastric (cardia) cancer had significantly better survival rates than patients with cancer in the lower one-third of the esophagus. Among gastric cancers, patients with distal tumours had a significantly better survival rate than patients with proximal tumours.

DISCUSSION

The incidences of proximal gastric cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma are increasing, and their survival patterns are different. Examining these cancers together may elucidate new etiological and prognostic factors.

Survival After Neoadjuvant Therapy Compared with Surgery Alone for Resectable Esophageal Cancer in a Population-based Study

BACKGROUND

Esophagectomy remains the standard treatment for resectable esophageal cancer, but the cure rate is low. Neoadjuvant therapy has been tried in attempts to prolong survival and reduce tumor recurrence. The aim of this study was to assess the surgical outcomes with and without neoadjuvant treatment for resectable esophageal cancer in a population-based setting.

METHODS

All 1,155 patients treated with esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in Sweden in 1987 through 2000 with or without neoadjuvant therapy were identified and followed up in nationwide registers up to 18 October 2004. Tumor characteristics and response to neoadjuvant treatment were obtained from histopathological reports. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for potential confounding factors were calculated by a Cox proportional hazards regression model.

RESULTS

Overall survival was similar in the groups with and without neoadjuvant therapy (adjusted HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.86-1.16). The 3-year survival rates were 34.6% and 32.0%, respectively. Survival was better among the 27.6% of the neoadjuvant group with a complete histopathological response (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.53-0.94) compared with the surgery only group. Patients without complete response to neoadjuvant therapy had seemingly poorer survival (HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.94-1.29).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical outcomes with and without neoadjuvant therapy were equivalent. Only patients with a complete histopathological response after neoadjuvant treatment had better survival.