RESULTS OF PREOPERATIVE RADIOCHEMOTHERAPY IN LOCAL ADVANCED SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE ESOPHAGUS

In a 4-year period (1988-1991) 122 patients with a squamous cell carci noma of the esophagus were studied prospectively and analysed. 64 pati ents of them could be primary resected (primary resectability rate 52 %), 36 patients were in general inoperable and 22 patients had an adva nced stage of cancer with local inoperability. Due to a preoperative c ombined radiotherapy and chemotherapy 16 of the 22 patients with local inoperability had a clinical remission of the tumor (73 %). 11 patien ts (50 %) showed a histological verified down staging and 3 cases of t hem a complete remission (no primary tumor was found, no infiltration of the regional lymphnodes and no metastatic disease). Curative resect ion was possible in 14 of 16 patients with clinical remission (2 patie nts refused surgical treatment). So the resectability rate now increas es from 52 to 63 %. We conclude that there was no increased rate of po stoperative complications or mortality in the combined radio-/chemothe rapy group compared with the primary resected patients.