Factors influencing decision-making between surgery and chemoradiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma from the JCOG0502.

Treatment options for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma includes surgery and chemoradiotherapy (CRT), however there was limited information about the factors influenced in patients' decision-making. Patients who participated in JCOG0502, a parallel group controlled trial comparing surgery with CRT, were analyzed for the factors related to decision-making. Of the 368 patients (pts) enrolled in the nonrandomized part in JCOG0502, 209 pts opted for surgery and 159 pts chose CRT on their own. Background characteristics were the same except for age. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥65 years, male sex, multiple lesions, absence of children and doctor's thinking were associated with the selection of CRT. The doctor's option was the most influential factor in the patient's decision-making process. UMIN000000551 (ClinicalTrials.gov).