Characterization of pathologic complete response after preoperative chemoradiotherapy in carcinoma of the esophagus and outcome after pathologic complete response

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the current study was to test the hypothesis that a lower clinical TNM stage is associated with a higher rate of pathologic complete response (pathCR) in patients with esophageal carcinoma receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy and to determine whether outcome after pathCR is related to clinical stage or treatment. METHODS: Clinical parameters and surgical specimens of patients with esophageal carcinoma undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy were analyzed to identify predictors of pathCR. In patients with pathCR, predictors of overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and distant recurrence were studied. RESULTS: Sixty-nine (29%) of 235 patients achieved pathCR. In patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Stage II carcinoma, the proportion achieving pathCR was significantly larger than that achieving <pathCR (65% vs. 35%; P = 0.03). The proportion of patients who received induction chemotherapy was higher in the pathCR group than in the <pathCR group (54% vs. 46%; P = 0.05). However, neither TNM classification, primary tumor location, histologic type, gender, therapy sequence, or radiation dose (45 grays [Gy] vs. 50.4 Gy) were found to have any influence on OS or DFS. The median OS from pathCR was significantly longer than that from <pathCR (133 mos vs. 34 mos; P = 0.002). Similarly, DFS was longer in the pathCR group than in the <pathCR (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with clinical AJCC Stage II esophageal carcinoma are more likely to achieve a pathCR after preoperative chemoradiotherapy than are those with Stage III carcinoma. Chemoradiotherapy as primary therapy for patients with Stage I esophageal carcinoma warrants investigation as a means to preserve their esophagus.