ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN THE QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF RESPONSETO CHEMOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE ESOPHAGUS AND ESOPHAGOGASTRIC JUNCTION

We used endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) to clinically stage eight pat ients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and to monitor their diseas e after subsequent courses of experimental preoperative chemotherapy. Stage of disease (TNM), tumor area, and tumor width were determined at each session. These results were then compared with barium esophagram and histopathology from resection specimens. EUS provided a consisten t interpretation of the stage of disease and accurately predicted hist opathologic findings. Measurement of tumor area and maximal width did not reliably correlate with the response to chemotherapy as assessed b y barium esophagram. Although this technique seems promising, it canno t yet be recommended as a means of predicting response to chemotherapy .