MANAGEMENT OF POSTOPERATIVE RECURRENCE OF SQUAMOUS-CELL ESOPHAGEAL-CARCINOMA IN 19 PATIENTS

Objectives. - The aim of this study was to report the management of 19 patients with recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after surgical treatment. Patients - Methods. - Nineteen patients with loco- regional recurrent invasion (n = 13) or metastasis (n = 6) of esophage al squamous cell carcinoma were included Four of the 13 patients with loco-regional recurrent invasion had tracheal involvement. The treatme nt of the recurrence was a combined radiochemotherapy (n = 12) for loc o-regional recurrent invasion in 11 cases and for metastasis in 1 case , associated with a tracheal prosthesis in 1 patient. The other treatm ents were chemotherapy alone (n = 5), esophageal prosthesis (n = 1) an d surgical treatment (n = 1). Results. - There were 7 objective respon ses among the 12 patients treated with combined radiochemotherapy and none in the group treated with chemotherapy alone. Grade 3-4 toxicity was noticed in 2 cases (severe mucositis). Survival rare of the 19 pat ients was 52.6% at 1 year and 13.1% at 2 years; it was linked with gen eral health (P = 0.09) and with tracheal involvement (P = 0.04). Survi val rate of the 12 patients treated by combined radiochemotherapy was higher : 66% at 1 year and 22.2% at 2 years (median survival time = 16 months). Conclusion. - Active medical treatment of recurrence of esop hageal squamous cell carcinoma by combined radiochemotherapy can provi de a median survival time of 16 months, with a moderate toxicity.