Treatments for esophageal cancer

Article Abstract:

Combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be a more effective treatment than radiation therapy alone for patients with esophageal cancer. Those treated with surgery or radiation therapy alone often suffer from cancer recurrence, and subsequently die. A research study found that patients with early-stage esophageal cancer who were treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy survived longer and had fewer relapses than those treated with radiation therapy alone. The two types of therapy may interact with each other, and increase their effectiveness in eliminating cancer cells. This type of effect has been observed in patients with anal cancer who are treated with combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The study that examined the use of combined therapy to treat esophageal cancer may have some biases. Patients were not differentiated by type of cancer or racial group, which may affect survival. Some patients may have had a recurrence after the study ended.

Editorial

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Chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery compared with surgery alone in squamous-cell cancer of the esophagus

Article Abstract:

Chemoradiotherapy combined with surgery may have advantages over surgery alone in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Researchers randomly assigned 282 patients with squamous cell cancer of the esophagus to receive surgery alone or surgery preceded by chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Overall survival rates were similar in the two groups, but those who received the combination treatment had longer disease-free survival and a lower rate of death from cancer. However, they had a higher rate of postoperative complications, including death.

Surgery

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Chemotherapy followed by surgery compared with surgery alone for localized esophageal cancer

Article Abstract:

Preoperative chemotherapy does not appear to improve the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer. Researchers randomly assigned 440 patients with esophageal cancer to have surgery only or to have chemotherapy two to four weeks before surgery. Survival rates at one and two years were about 60% and 35% in both groups. Chemotherapy also did not reduce the risk of recurrence.

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy compared with radiotherapy alone in patients with cancer of the esophagus

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