DEFINITIVE RADIOCHEMOTHERAPY IN ESOPHAGEAL CANCER – A SINGLE INSTITUTION EXPERIENCE

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the treatment results with definitive radiochemotherapy of patients with esophageal cancer, treated in a single institution in the period from 2010 to 2017.

Patients and methods: Fifty-five patients with esophageal cancer and the mean age of 62 years (range: 29.2-80.8 years) were treated with definitive radiochemotherapy with curative intent. Majority of patients had squamous cell cancer (53 patients - 96.4%) in the stage T3 or T4 (47 patients - 85.5%) and/or N+ (35 patients - 63.6%).  All patients were irradiated to a total dose to the tumor of 70 Gy (1.8-2 Gy per fraction) in upper third (cervical) tumors or to the mean total dose of 57.6 Gy (1.8 Gy per fraction) in middle third (intrathoracic) tumors. All but one patient received concomitant chemotherapy, with majority of them (41 patients – 74.5%) receiving concomitant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil in continuous 96 hours infusion and cisplatin.

Results: Median follow-up time for the whole group of patients was 16.8 months (range: 0.3-81.8 months). At the time of analysis 14 (25.5%) patients were still alive. Rates for overall survival, locoregional control and disease-free survival at two and five years were as follows: 47% and 19.4%, 43.7% and 41%, 32.1% and 11.5%, respectively. None of the analyzed factors had a statistically significant impact on survival in univariate analysis. 

Conclusions: Our results of treatment with definitive radiochemotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer are similar to the results of other studies. Majority of patients ended the treatment according to the protocol, which at least in part can be attributed to the adequate and well organized supportive treatment in our institution.