BACKGROUND: We conducted a retrospective analysis to clarify the clinical profile of a nonsurgical approach to small cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCEC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: SCEC patients in our database were reviewed. Consistent with the standard approach to small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCLC), chemoradiotherapy was the first choice for limited disease (LD)-SCEC in our institution while chemotherapy was the first choice for extensive disease (ED)-SCEC. Our strategy did not include prophylactic cranial irradiation. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were treated between January 1996 and December 2006, of whom 10 had LD-SCEC and 8 had ED-SCEC. Regarding response to chemoradiotherapy in patients with LD-SCEC, CR rate at the primary site was 90% (9/10) and total CR rate was 80% (8/10). With a median follow-up period of 55.3 months, median survival time in LD-SCEC and ED-SCEC patients was 17.3 and 13.9 months, respectively, showing no significant difference (p = 0.57). Brain metastases occurred in only one patient. On follow-up, eight patients with LD-SCEC and seven with ED-SCEC died of disease. Only 2 patients died of local progression, while the remaining 13 died of disease progression of distant metastases. CONCLUSION: Despite providing good local control, chemoradiotherapy appeared to have insufficient potential to cure LD-SCEC. Prophylactic brain irradiation for SCEC is unnecessary.
BACKGROUND: We conducted a retrospective analysis to clarify the clinical profile of a nonsurgical approach to small cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCEC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: SCEC patients in our database were reviewed. Consistent with the standard approach to small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCLC), chemoradiotherapy was the first choice for limited disease (LD)-SCEC in our institution while chemotherapy was the first choice for extensive disease (ED)-SCEC. Our strategy did not include prophylactic cranial irradiation. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were treated between January 1996 and December 2006, of whom 10 had LD-SCEC and 8 had ED-SCEC. Regarding response to chemoradiotherapy in patients with LD-SCEC, CR rate at the primary site was 90% (9/10) and total CR rate was 80% (8/10). With a median follow-up period of 55.3 months, median survival time in LD-SCEC and ED-SCEC patients was 17.3 and 13.9 months, respectively, showing no significant difference (p = 0.57). Brain metastases occurred in only one patient. On follow-up, eight patients with LD-SCEC and seven with ED-SCEC died of disease. Only 2 patients died of local progression, while the remaining 13 died of disease progression of distant metastases. CONCLUSION: Despite providing good local control, chemoradiotherapy appeared to have insufficient potential to cure LD-SCEC. Prophylactic brain irradiation for SCEC is unnecessary.
Authors: A Aupérin; R Arriagada; J P Pignon; C Le Péchoux; A Gregor; R J Stephens; P E Kristjansen; B E Johnson; H Ueoka; H Wagner; J Aisner Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1999-08-12 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: J P Pignon; R Arriagada; D C Ihde; D H Johnson; M C Perry; R L Souhami; O Brodin; R A Joss; M S Kies; B Lebeau Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1992-12-03 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: E Hudson; J Powell; S Mukherjee; T D L Crosby; A E Brewster; T S Maughan; H Bailey; J F Lester Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2007-02-13 Impact factor: 7.640
Authors: Emma Elizabeth Ilett; Seppo W Langer; Ingrid Holst Olsen; Birgitte Federspiel; Andreas Kjær; Ulrich Knigge Journal: Diagnostics (Basel) Date: 2015-04-08