Integration of surgery in multimodality therapy for esophageal cancer

Combined Modality Treatment for Esophageal Cancer

We have performed a review of recent literature about combined modality therapy in esophageal cancer. Radiobiological principles and radio-chemotherapy interactions modalities in clinical experiences have been considered. Therapeutic schedules, modalities of implementation, and the most relevant clinical results obtained by the major clinical research groups have been emphasized. We also comment on the current role of surgery and on the clinical questions arising in combined radio-chemotherapy treatment.

Chemoradiation therapy in the management of gastrointestinal malignancies

Concurrent administration of chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been increasingly used in cancer treatment, leading to improvements in survival as well as quality of life. Currently, it is a feasible preference, often regarded as the standard therapeutic option, for many locally confined solid tumors, including anal, bladder, cervical, esophageal, gastric, head and neck, lung, pancreatic and rectal cancers. In patients with these tumors, combined modality therapy improves local tumor control and survival while, in some instances, obviating the need for surgical removal of the organ of origin. The scientific rationale for the use of chemoradiation derives from the preclinical and clinical observations of synergistic interactions between radiotherapy and chemotherapy. When chemotherapy and radiotherapy are administered together, the chemotherapeutic agents can sensitize the cancer cells to the effects of ionizing radiation, leading to increased tumor-killing effects within the radiotherapy field. This, in turn, can improve local control of the primary tumor and, in some cancers, render surgical resection unnecessary. In other cases, patients with tumors that were initially considered unresectable are able to undergo curative interventions after completing chemoradiation. The chemotherapy component can address any potential micrometastatic disease that, without therapy, leads to an increased risk of distant recurrence. A large body of evidence exists that supports the use of chemoradiotherapy in gastrointestinal cancers. In fact, one of the first tumor types in which the superior efficacy of chemoradiation was described was anal cancer. Since then, chemoradiotherapy has been explored in other gastrointestinal malignancies with superior outcomes when compared with either radiation or chemotherapy alone. This article aims to recapitulate the clinical evidence supporting the use of chemoradiotherapy in a variety of gastrointestinal tumor types.

Postoperative extended-volume external-beam radiation therapy in high-risk esophageal cancer patients: a prospective experience

Background and Purpose

Extended-volume external-beam radiation therapy (rt) following esophagectomy is controversial. The present prospective study evaluates the feasibility of extended-volume rt treatment in high-risk esophagectomy patients with a cervical anastomosis receiving postoperative combined chemoradiation therapy.

Patients and Methods

From 2001 to 2006, 15 patients with resected esophageal cancer were prospectively accrued to this pilot study to evaluate the adverse effects of extended-volume rt. Postoperative management was carried out at London Regional Cancer Program. Eligibility criteria were pathology-proven esophageal malignancy (T3–4, N0–1), disease amenable to surgical resection, and esophagectomy with or without resection margin involvement. Patients with distant metastases (M1) and patients treated with previous rt were excluded. All 15 study patients received 4 cycles of 5-fluorouracil–based chemotherapy. External-beam rt was conducted using conformal computed tomography planning, with multi-field arrangement tailored to the pathology findings, with coverage of a clinical target volume encompassing the primary tumour bed and the anastomotic site in the neck. The radiation therapy dose was 50.40 Gy at 1.8 Gy per fraction. The rt was delivered concurrently with the third cycle of chemotherapy. The study outcomes—disease-free survival (dfs) and overall survival (os)—were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Treatment-related toxicities were assessed using the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s Common Toxicity Criteria.

Results

The study accrued 10 men and 5 women of median age 64 years (range: 48–80 years) and TNM stages T3N0 (n = 1), T2N1 (n = 2), T3N1 (n = 11), and T4N1 (n = 1). Histopathology included 5 adenocarcinomas and 10 squamous-cell carcinomas. Resection margins were clear in 10 patients. The median follow-up time was 19 months (range: 3.5–53.4 months). Before radiation therapy commenced, delay in chemotherapy occurred in 20% of patients, and dose reduction was required in 13.3%. During the concurrent chemoradiation therapy phase, 20% of the patients experienced chemotherapy delay, and 6.6% experienced dose reduction. No patient experienced treatment-related acute and chronic esophagitis above grade 2. Disease recurred in 40% of the patients (6/15), and median time to relapse was 24 months. No tumour recurred at the anastomotic site. The median dfs was 23 months, and the median os was 21 months.

Conclusions

Extended-volume external-beam rt encompassing the tumour bed and the anastomotic site is feasible and safe for high-risk T3–4, N0–1 esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy.

Long-term efficacy of perioperative chemoradiotherapy on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the role of perioperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in the treatment of locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS: Using preoperative computed tomography (CT)-based staging criteria, 238 patients with ESCC (stage II-III) were enrolled in this prospective study between January 1997 and June 2004. With informed consent, patients were randomized into 3 groups: preoperative CRT (80 cases), postoperative CRT (78 cases) and surgery alone (S) (80 cases). The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year survival were followed up. Progression-free survival (PFS) was chosen as the primary endpoint by treatment arm measured from study entry until documented progression of disease or death from any cause. The secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS) determined as the time (in months) between the date of therapy and the date of death. Other objectives were surgical and adjuvant therapy complications.

RESULTS: With median follow-up of 45 mo for all the enrolled patients, significant differences in the 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-year OS (91.3%, 63.5%, 43.5%, 24.5% vs 91%, 62.8%, 42.3%, 24.4% vs 87.5%, 51.3%, 33.8%, 12.5%, P = 0.0176) and PFS (89.3%, 61.3%, 37.5%, 18.1% vs 89.1%, 61.1%, 37.2%, 17.8% vs 84.5%, 49.3%, 25.9%, 6.2%, P = 0.0151) were detected among the 3 arms. There were no significant differences in OS and PFS between the preoperative CRT and postoperative CRT arm (P > 0.05). For the patients who had radical resection, significant differences in median PFS (48 mo vs 61 mo vs 39.5 mo, P = 0.0331) and median OS (56.5 mo vs 72 mo vs 41.5 mo, P = 0.0153) were detected among the 3 arms, but there were no significant differences in OS and PFS between the preoperative CRT and postoperative CRT arm (P > 0.05). The local recurrence rates in the preoperative CRT, postoperative CRT group and S group were 11.3%, 14.1% and 35%, respectively (P < 0.05). No significant differences were detected among the 3 groups when comparing complications but tended to be in favor of the postoperative CRT and S groups (P > 0.05). Toxicities of CRT in the preoperative or postoperative CRT arms were mostly moderate, and could be quickly alleviated by adequate therapy.

CONCLUSION: Rational application of preoperative or postoperative CRT can provide a benefit in PFS and OS in patients with locally advanced ESCC.

Esophagectomy for locally advanced esophageal cancer, followed by chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy

AIM: To compare the efficacy and toxicity of a three-step combination therapy with post-operative radiation alone for locally advanced esophageal cancer.

METHODS: Patients with T3-4 and N0-1 esophageal carcinoma from a number of institutions were non-randomly, prospectively enrolled in the study. All patients underwent single-stage curative en bloc esophagectomy. The patients were then assigned into one of two treatment groups based on treatment consisting of either post-operative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with weekly cisplatin 30 mg/m² followed by systemic adjuvant chemotherapy (four monthly cycles of cisplatin 20 mg/m² and 5-fluorouracil 1 000 mg/m² for five consecutive days), or, post-operative radiation alone. The radiotherapy dose was 55-60 Gy for all patients. Primary end-point of this study was to assess the per-protocol patients’ improvement of overall survival benefit. Secondary end-point was designed to evaluate both the per-protocol and intent-to-treat patients’ outcome of survival.

RESULTS: A total of 60 patients (n = 30 per group) were enrolled in this study. The two groups were generally comparable for demographic characteristics and hematological and non-hematological toxicities. The CCRT with weekly cisplatin was well tolerated, with significantly better overall survival (30.9 mo vs 20.7 mo; 95% CI, 27.5-36.4 vs 15.2-26.1) and 3-year survival (70.0% vs 33.7%; P = 0.003). Low histological grade of tumor (P < 0.001) was associated with favorable survival in these locally advanced patients.

CONCLUSION: For locally advanced esophageal cancer, the combination of esophagectomy, post-operative CCRT with weekly cisplatin and systemic adjuvant chemotherapy is well tolerated and effective. A large-scale, prospective randomized trial of this regimen is in progress.

Benefit of postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locoregionally advanced esophageal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine whether chemoradiotherapy after esophagectomy improves survival.

METHODS

From 1994 to 2000, 31 patients with locoregionally advanced esophageal carcinoma (90% pT3, 81% pN1, and 13% pM1a) received postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Concurrently, 52 patients with advanced carcinoma underwent esophagectomy alone and survived at least 10 weeks, the time frame for adjuvant therapy. A propensity score based on demographic, tumor, and surgical factors was used to identify matched pairs to determine the association of adjuvant therapy with outcomes.

RESULTS

For patients receiving adjuvant therapy versus esophagectomy alone, risk-unadjusted median, 1-year, and 4-year survivals were 28 versus 14 months, 68% +/- 8.4% versus 60% +/- 6.8%, and 44% +/- 9.0% versus 17% +/- 5.6%, respectively (P =.05). Similarly, risk-unadjusted median time to recurrence was 25 versus 13 months (P =.15), and median recurrence-free survival was 22 versus 11 months (P =.04). Among propensity-matched patients, median, 1-year, and 4-year survivals for those receiving adjuvant therapy versus esophagectomy were 28 versus 15 months, 60% +/- 11.0% versus 65% +/- 10.7%, and 44% +/- 11.3% versus 0% (P =.05). Median time to recurrence was 25 versus 13 months (P =.04), and recurrence-free survival was 22 versus 10 months (P =.02).

CONCLUSION

In patients with locoregionally advanced esophageal carcinoma, addition of postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy to esophagectomy alone doubled survival time, time to recurrence, and recurrence-free survival. Patients with locoregionally advanced carcinoma after esophagectomy should be considered for adjuvant therapy.

Current status of neoadjuvant therapy for adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus

Prospective studies dealing with preoperative therapy in adenocarcinoma of the esophagus alone are rare. The interpretation of the preferential phase II trials and a few phase III trials is complicated, as most studies include adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (i.e., Barrett's carcinoma), adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (including cardia carcinoma and subcardia carcinoma), or squamous cell carcinoma. Preoperative chemotherapy, generally well tolerated, cannot decrease the incidence of local failure beyond the level achieved with surgery alone, but it might delay systemic relapse. Preoperative radiotherapy can enhance local control, but it fails to improve overall survival. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation was demonstrated in only one randomized trail to have a survival benefit, but survival in the surgery-alone group was unusually low. Generally, survival was ameliorated in patients responding to neoadjuvant treatment. However, preoperative chemoradiation was often accompanied by a remarkable increase in postoperative morbidity and mortality. Nonresponding patients have, in this respect, a worse prognosis than responders after resection. The prediction of responding patients to neoadjuvant therapy as well as the early identification of patients who will not respond is of utmost clinical importance. Today, there is no absolute evidence that neoadjuvant treatment for patients with potentially resectable Barrett's cancer prolongs survival. In patients with locally advanced, presumably not completely resectable adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, preoperative treatment appears to increase the chance for a curative resection and enhance survival in responding patients. Neoadjuvant treatment of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, as a consequence, is currently not the standard treatment and should be performed only within controlled clinical trials.