A COMPARISON OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY AS ADJUVANT TREATMENT TO SURGERY FOR ESOPHAGEAL-CARCINOMA

A cooperative, prospective randomized study to compare radiotherapy (5 0 Gy) or 2 courses of combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin (50 mg/m2) and vindesine (3 mg/m2) following curative resection was p erformed in 258 patients at 9 institutions between August 1985 and Aug ust 1987. In the two groups, no difference was present in the backgrou nd factors such as sex, age, and the location and length of the tumor. Also, there was no difference of distribution of pT, pN, pM or p stag e by the revised TNM classification of 1987. There was no significant difference in survival up to 5 years in the 2 groups. Concerning the s ide effects, the decrease in white blood cell and platelet counts was similar in the two groups, but elevation of blood urea nitrogen and cr eatinine concentrations was more marked in the group receiving chemoth erapy than in the group with radiotherapy.