Long-term toxicity after definitive chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus.

PURPOSE: To assess the long-term toxicity after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients newly diagnosed with SCC of the esophagus and treated with definitive CRT between 1992 and 1999 in our institution were recruited from our database on the basis of the following criteria: age </= 75 years, performance status (PS; based on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale) 0 to 2, and clinical tumor-node-metastasis system stage I to IVA. The CRT consisted of two cycles of cisplatin 40 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, and continuous infusion of fluorouracil 400 mg/m2/d on days 1 to 5 and 8 to 12, repeated every 5 weeks with concurrent radiotherapy of 60 Gy in 30 fractions. For the assessment of toxicity, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer late radiation morbidity scoring scheme was adopted.
RESULTS: A total of 139 patients were recruited, and their characteristics were as follows: median age, 62 years (range, 38 to 75 years); 121 males and 18 females; 96 patients PS 0, 42 patients PS 1, and one patient PS 2; 15 patients T1, 11 patients T2, 60 patients T3, and 53 patients T4; and 101 patients M0, 38 patients M1a. With a median follow-up of 53 months, the median survival time and 5-year survival rate were 21 months and 29%, respectively. Of 78 patients with complete remission, two patients died as a result of acute myocardial infarction. Grade 2, 3, and 4 late toxicities occurred with the following incidences: pericarditis in eight patients, seven patients, and one patient, respectively; heart failure in zero, zero, and two patients; pleural effusion in seven, eight, and zero patients; and radiation pneumonitis in one patient, three patients, and zero patients, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Definitive CRT for SCC of the esophagus is effective with substantial toxicities. Additional investigation to minimize the normal tissue toxicities is warranted.