| Theme |
Current Status of Uprising Strategy for Esophageal Cancer Treatment |
| Title |
Current Status of Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal Carcinoma |
| Author |
Katsuhiko Higuchi |
Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Chikatoshi Katada |
Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Tohru Sasaki |
Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Mizutomo Azuma |
Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Kenji Ishido |
Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine |
| Author |
SatoshiTanabe |
Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Wasaburo Koizumi |
Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
In Japan, squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 93 % of all esophageal carcinomas. Because squamous cell carcinoma is generally sensitive to radiation, definitive chemoradiotherapy, which allows the esophagus to be preserved, is considered to be useful therapeutically. Cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, with concurrent radiation with 50.4 Gy is employed as the standard treatment, based on the results of randomized clinical trials (RTOG 85-01 and RTOG 94-05/INT 0123) performed in North America. Similar regimens have been introduced for patients with stage II/III in Japan. In patients who have T4 tumors and/or M1 lymph-node metastasis, chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and concurrent radiation with 60 Gy is considered to be the standard treatment. However, docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil plus concurrent radiotherapy is also being investigated. |