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The impact of adjuvant radiotherapy on radically resected T3 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

  • Original Article – Clinical Oncology
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The role of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains controversial. This retrospective study was designed to analyze the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with T3 stage ESCC after radical resection.

Methods

Data of a single-center cohort of 692 patients with T3 stage ESCC who underwent radical resection, with or without adjuvant radiotherapy, were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare overall survival (OS) and locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS).

Results

Two hundred and forty-six patients received adjuvant radiotherapy (S + R group), and 446 patients underwent surgery alone (S group). The median survival time and 5-year OS rate were 40.0 months and 40.9 % for the entire population, 50.0 months and 45.6 % for the S + R group and 38.0 months and 38.3 % for the S group (P = 0.114 for S + R group vs. S group). The 5-year LRFS rate for the S + R group was significantly higher than that for S group (50.8 vs. 35.9 %, P < 0.001). In subgroup analyses, adjuvant radiotherapy was found to improve the 5-year OS in the subgroups of tumor length >5 cm, pN0 and pN1 categories, pTNM stage IIa, IIb and IIIa (P < 0.005).

Conclusions

Adjuvant radiotherapy is effective in local control of radically resected T3 stage ESCC and may improve the overall survival in certain subgroups, such as the patients with tumor length >5 cm, pN0 and pN1 categories, pTNM stage IIa, IIb and IIIa. Further studies are required to confirm our results.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, 515000, Guangdong, China

      Shao-bin Chen, Hong-rui Weng, Geng Wang, Di-tian Liu, Hua Li & Yu-ping Chen

    2. Cancer Research Centre, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China

      Hao Zhang

    3. Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China

      Hao Zhang

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    1. Shao-bin Chen
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    Correspondence to Yu-ping Chen.

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    Shao-bin Chen and Hong-rui Weng contributed equally to this article.

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    Chen, Sb., Weng, Hr., Wang, G. et al. The impact of adjuvant radiotherapy on radically resected T3 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 142, 277–286 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-015-2041-z

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