Effect of chemoradiotherapy for neural invasion in an advanced esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: For esophageal cancer, the incidence of lymphatic, local, and hematogenous recurrence is high, and prognosis is poor. This study examined utility of chemoradiotherapy for neural invasion, a risk factor for local recurrence, and a poor prognosis factor.

METHODOLOGY

Neural invasion was studied histochemically in 183 patients with resected advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, of T2 or greater depth of wall invasion.

RESULTS

Neural invasion positivity occurred in 78 of 183 (46.2%) patients, 11 of 21 (52.4%) of the preoperative radiotherapy alone group, and 5 of 22 (22.7%) in the preoperative chemoradiotherapy group (p<0.05). The local recurrence rate overall was 15.0% in the preoperative radiotherapy alone group compared to 5.9% in the chemoradiotherapy group.

CONCLUSIONS

Chemoradiotherapy is effective for neural invasion in comparison with radiotherapy alone.