Distant Oncologic Outcome of Patients with Locally Advanced Unresectable and Metastatic Esophageal Cancer after Multimodality Treatment.

Background: Combined modality therapy has been employed for the treatment of choice for locally advanced esophageal and eso-gastric junction cancers all around the globe but a unanimous consensus is missing. Methods: Medical files of 132 patients with confirmed locally advanced un-resectable, and metastatic esophageal cancer who presented to our center between 2010-2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Multimodality treatment consisting of chemo-radiotherapy or chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone and surgery in patients who convert to operability was planned according to tumor extend and performance status of the patient. Results: Seventy seven percent of the patient presented with squamous carcinoma and 23 % were adenocarcinoma. At the diagnosis 22 patients (16.6%) were stage IV. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy was administered in 26 patients (19.7%), chemotherapy in 91 patients (68.9%), radiotherapy in 83 patients (62.9%). After combined treatment, surgery with radical intent was possible in 21 patients (15.9%). After a follow up of 17.3 months, overall survival (OS) was 12 months, with one and two-year survival rate of 49.2% and 17.4%. In metastatic patients OS was 10 months. Patients who were converted to operability had a OS of 20 months vs. 10 months in patients who doesn't undergo surgery (p=0.002). Chemo-radiotherapy was superior in terms of OS compare with chemotherapy or radiotherapy administered sequential (17 vs. 10 months, p=0.013). Conclusions: Multimodality treatment in locally advanced esophageal cancers (concurrent radiochemotherapy followed by surgery) can be considered superior to each method as single therapy and radiotherapy and chemotherapy can make certain locally advanced esophageal tumors resectable.