The Comparison of the Advantages of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy versus Postoperative Chemoradiotherapy: Outcomes in Esophageal Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common type of cancer worldwide. For the treatment of which, surgical intervention alone or with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy is recommended. In this study, we aimed to compare the benefits of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative chemoradiotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We collected data regarding 325 patients admitted for esophageal cancer to Qaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, during 2006-2016. The participants were divided into two groups of neoadjuvant and postoperative adjuvant therapies. Chi-square, McNemar, Kaplan-Mayer, and multivariate regression tests were performed using SPSS.

RESULTS

Gender, age, stage of the disease, tumor grade and location, disease histopathology, and the recurrence showed no significant differences between the two groups (P ˃ 0.05), but there was a significant association between the two types of treatment in terms of postoperative complications (P = 0.03). We followed up 147 patients postoperatively and found no significant differences between the groups (P ˃ 0.05).

CONCLUSION

No conclusion can be drawn on whether there are any advantages in adjuvant chemoradiotherapy over neoadjuvant approaches. Further confirmatory trials, particularly randomized trials, are necessary before any recommendations can be made.