Neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction

• Published in: Onkologie Vol. 24; no. 3; p. 278
• Main Authors: Samel, S, Hofheinz, R, Hundt, A, Sturm, J, Knoll, M R, Wenz, F, Queisser, W, Post, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01-06-2001
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - diagnostic imaging; Adenocarcinoma - drug therapy; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - surgery; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Cisplatin - administration & dosage; Cisplatin - adverse effects; Combined Modality Therapy; Dose Fractionation; Drug Administration Schedule; Esophageal Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Esophageal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Esophageal Neoplasms - pathology; Esophageal Neoplasms - surgery; Esophagectomy; Esophagogastric Junction - pathology; Esophagogastric Junction - surgery; Feasibility Studies; Female; Fluorouracil - administration & dosage; Fluorouracil - adverse effects; Follow-Up Studies; Gastrectomy; Humans; Lymph Node Excision; Male; Middle Aged; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Staging; Prospective Studies; Radiography; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 0378-584X
• DOI: 10.1159/000055092

Recently, neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy has been demonstrated to induce tumour remission and to prolong survival of patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction.The present study was performed to re-evaluate these data.
A non-randomised trial of multimodal treatment was conducted in order to investigate histopathologic response and survival of patients with adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction. Treatment consisted of 2 courses of combined chemotherapy with 15 mg/kg 5-fluorouracil on days 1-5 and 75 mg/m(2) cisplatin on day 8 and simultaneous radiation (40 Gy), and a second course starting on day 36, followed by surgery. Abdomino-thoracic oesophagectomy and systematic 2-field lymphadenectomy were performed in patients with Barrett's carcinoma. D2-gastrectomy was performed in patients with type 2 or 3 cancer of the oesophagogastric junction according to the Siewert classification. Probability of survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.
16 patients with a mean age of 57 years were enrolled in this study. Surgery was performed in 14 of these patients. Response to treatment was evident in 10 patients, but none of these patients had complete histopathologic response. Toxicity related to radiochemotherapy was mild to moderate (37.5%). Perioperative complications, both medical and surgical, occurred in 71.4% of patients. 2 patients had fatal complications. 30-day mortality was 25.4%. The probability of survival at 2 years after surgery was 61.2%.
Neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy followed by surgery for cancer of the oesophagogastric junction is associated with a considerable rate of complications. Histopathologic response to radio-chemotherapy is poor. In consequence of these preliminary results, the present study was terminated and the protocol of a future study was modified.