Purpose: To evaluate treatment outcomes of chemoradiotherapy for patients with stage IVA esophageal cancer and to estimate prognostic factors.
Materials and methods: Patients with stage IVA esophageal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy between April 2003 and March 2009 were evaluated. Patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy comprising cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil and 61.2 Gy of radiotherapy. Therapeutic response, overall survival time, and toxicity were examined and statistical evaluation was performed.
Results: Ninety patients were treated using chemoradiotherapy. Among these, 71 patients (78.9 %) received the complete course of chemoradiotherapy. Seventeen patients (18.9 %) showed complete response, 64 patients (71.1 %) had partial response, 7 patients (7.8 %) experienced no change, and 2 patients (2.2 %) exhibited progressive disease. Mean duration of follow-up was 16.1 months (range 2-88 months). Median overall survival was 12.8 months. Two- and 3-year overall survival rates were 35.1 and 18.6 %, respectively. Severe hematological toxicities included Grade 3 leukopenia in 33 patients (36.7 %). Treatment-related death was estimated to have occurred in 7 patients. Performance status and body weight loss were identified as significant prognostic factors.
Conclusion: Our treatment outcomes appeared similar to those of previous studies that used chemoradiotherapy for advanced esophageal cancer. This treatment is useful for stage IVA esophageal cancer.