Zieren H U, Müller J M, Jacobi C A, Pichlmaier H, Müller R P, Staar S
Department of Surgery, Charité, Hamboldt University of Berlin, Germany.
World J Surg. 1995 May-Jun;19(3):444-9. doi: 10.1007/BF00299187.
Postoperative radiation therapy following curative resection of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus was investigated in a prospective randomized study. A group of 33 patients received postoperative radiation therapy and were compared to a control group of 35 patients treated by surgery alone. No statistically significant differences were noted between the two treatment groups concerning overall and disease-free survival rates. Postoperative irradiation significantly increased the incidence of fibrotic strictures of the esophagogastric or esophagocolonic anastomoses and caused a delayed recovery of patients quality of life. Based on these results, we believe that postoperative radiation therapy alone cannot be advocated as a adjuvant therapy following curative resection of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.
