Current treatment approach to locally advanced esophageal cancer: is resection mandatory?

Epidemiology of esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer (EsC) is one of the least studied and deadliest cancers worldwide because of its extremely aggressive nature and poor survival rate. It ranks sixth among all cancers in mortality. In retrospective studies of EsC, smoking, hot tea drinking, red meat consumption, poor oral health, low intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, and low socioeconomic status have been associated with a higher risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Barrett’s esophagus is clearly recognized as a risk factor for EsC, and dysplasia remains the only factor useful for identifying patients at increased risk, for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma in clinical practice. Here, we investigated the epidemiologic patterns and causes of EsC. Using population based cancer data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program of the United States; we generated the most up-to-date stage distribution and 5-year relative survival by stage at diagnosis for 1998-2009. Special note should be given to the fact that esophageal cancer, mainly adenocarcinoma, is one of the very few cancers that is contributing to increasing death rates (20%) among males in the United States. To further explore the mechanism of development of EsC will hopefully decrease the incidence of EsC and improve outcomes.

Concurrent erlotinib and radiotherapy for chemoradiotherapy-intolerant esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients: results of a pilot study

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, a number of patients present intolerance to chemoradiotherapy because of advanced age or malnutrition. Erlotinib, an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase, was shown to be effective in treating esophageal carcinoma, with mild toxicities. In this pilot study, we investigated the safety and efficacy of concurrent erlotinib and radiotherapy as an alternative treatment modality for esophageal carcinoma patients who are intolerant to chemoradiotherapy. Pathologically diagnosed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients who could not tolerate concurrent chemoradiotherapy were enrolled. All patients were treated with concurrent erlotinib and intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Erlotinib was given orally for 60 days (150 mg per day). Radiotherapy (total dose, 60 Gy) was given at dosages of 2 Gy for a total of 30 times. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to assess epidermal growth factor receptor expression. Toxicities were evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 3.0). The overall survival, progression-free survival, and local-regional relapse-free survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Between December 2007 and March 2011, 18 patients were enrolled. The median age was 71.5 years. Primary disease was stages II, III, and IV in 3, 8, and 4 patients, respectively. There were three patients with recurrent disease after radical surgery. The median follow-up time was 17.2 months. Grade 3 esophagitis and skin rash were observed in five (27.8%) and two (11.1%) patients, respectively. Radiation pneumonitis of grades 2 and 5 was observed in one patient each. No grade 3/4 impaired liver function or hematological toxicity was observed. At 1 month after radiotherapy, two (11.1%) patients achieved complete response, 11 (61.1%) patients achieved partial response, and 5 (27.8%) patients had stable disease. The median time of overall survival and progression-free survival was 21.1 and 12 months, respectively. Two-year overall survival, progression-free survival, and local-regional relapse-free survival were 44.4%, 38.9%, and 66.7%, respectively. Five of six patients examined for epidermal growth factor receptor had high expression levels (3+). The relationship between epidermal growth factor receptor expression and treatment outcomes could not be concluded. For esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients who cannot tolerate chemoradiotherapy, concurrent erlotinib and radiotherapy are tolerable and effective. Valuable markers to predict the effect of erlotinib should be exploited in future studies.

Multimodal treatment of esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

The treatment of localized esophageal cancer has been debated controversially over the past decades. Neoadjuvant treatment was used empirically, but evidence was limited due to the lack of high-quality confirmatory studies. Meanwhile, data have become much clearer due to recently published well-conducted randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses.

METHODS

Neoadjuvant and perioperative platinum fluoropyrimidine-based combination chemotherapy has now an established role in the treatment of stage II and stage III esophageal adenocarcinoma and cancer of the esophago-gastric junction. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation is now the standard of care for treating stage II and stage III esophageal squamous cell cancer and can also be considered for treating esophageal adenocarcinoma.

RESULTS

Patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with definitive chemoradiation achieve comparable long-term survival compared with surgery. Short-term mortality is less with chemoradiation alone, but local tumor control is significantly better with surgery.

CONCLUSION

This expert review article outlines current data and literature and delineates recommendable treatment guidelines for localized esophageal cancer.

Clinical significance of stanniocalcin-1 detected in peripheral blood and bone marrow of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients

Background

Stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1) is a potential marker of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs). The aim of this study was to examine STC-1 expression in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients, and to evaluate its clinical significance.

Methods

A total of 85 ESCC patients treated with radical resection were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect STC-1 protein expression in ESCC tissues. Nested RT-PCR was used to detect STC-1 mRNA expression in PB and BM.

Results

There were 71 cases (83.5%) showed a higher level of STC-1 protein expression in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the frequencies of STC-1 mRNA expression detected in PB and BM were 37.6% (32/85) and 21.2% (18/85), respectively, and together increased sensitivity to 48.2% (41/85), which was much higher than that in patients with benign esophageal disease (5.0%, 2/40, P < 0.001). In addition, STC-1 mRNA expression either in PB or BM was correlated with lymph metastasis, advanced stage and adverse 2-year progression free survival (PFS). In a multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model, STC-1 expression in PB and/or BM was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for ESCC, apart from lymph metastasis and clinical stage.

Conclusions

STC-1 mRNA expression is a reliable marker for detection of DTCs in PB and BM of ESCC patients, and STC-1-positive DTCs may be a promising tool for diagnosis and prognosis assessment in ESCC.

Clinical significance of carcinoembryonic antigen-, cytokeratin 19-, or survivin-positive circulating tumor cells in the peripheral blood of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been associated with clinical outcome in various malignancies. The aim of this study was to examine CTC status in the peripheral blood of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) before and after radiotherapy, and to evaluate its clinical significance. A total of 72 ESCC patients treated with radical radiotherapy were enrolled in this study. The nested reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the three representative markers of CTCs, namely carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin 19, and survivin. The results showed that CTC(+), a status with positive expression of at least one of these three markers, in patients with ESCC pre- and post-radiotherapy were 54.2% (39/72) and 38.9% (28/72), respectively (P= 0.059). Furthermore, CTC (+) in patients pre- or post-radiotherapy was both correlated with lymph metastasis and adverse 2-year progression-free survival. It was also found that changes in CTC status after radiotherapy could reflect patients' response to radiotherapy. The response rates in cases with CTC status pre-radiotherapy(+)/post-radiotherapy(+), pre-radiotherapy(-)/post-radiotherapy(+), pre-radiotherapy(-)/post-radiotherapy(-), pre-radiotherapy(+)/post-radiotherapy(-) were 58.3% (21/36), 0% (0/3), 73.7% (14/19), and 85.7% (12/14), respectively. In a multivariate analysis of Cox proportional hazard model, only CTC (+) post-radiotherapy was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for ESCC apart from subsequent chemotherapy and patients' Karnofsky performance status scores. In conclusion, positive detection of CTCs in patients with ESCC after radiotherapy may be a promising biomarker for radiation efficiency and prognosis assessment in ESCC.

Preoperative survivin mRNA detection in peripheral blood is an independent predictor of outcome in esophageal carcinoma

AIMS

Survivin (SVV) mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies change significantly during the course of treatment. We wanted to scrutinize these findings in patients with esophageal carcinoma and furthermore evaluate whether the detection of mRNA and the change in detecting ability have an association with overall survival.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Whole blood was drawn 1 day pre- and 10 days post-operatively from 62 patients with esophageal carcinoma. Tumor cells were enriched from whole blood by density-gradient centrifugation prior to extraction of total cellular RNA and subsequent direct quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR assays.

RESULTS

SVV was detectable in 48 out of 62 patients (77%). Stepwise multivariate Cox linear regression models demonstrated a significant and independent association of measured SVV with overall survival (6.6 exp[b]; 95% CI: 1.97-22.12; p = 0.002). Increased SVV levels after the operation were linked to shorter overall survival (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative SVV expression levels appear to be associated with overall survival in patients with esophageal cancers. Increasing levels could potentially indicate a higher risk for shorter overall survival and therefore demand adapted treatment modalities.

[Neoadjuvant therapy in the upper gastro-intestinal tract. Modern strategies for Barrett's cancer]

While primary surgical resection with systematic lymphadenectomy remains the treatment of choice for locoregional Barrett's cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an increasingly accepted treatment modality for patients with locally advanced tumors and patients with extensive lymphatic spread. In contrast to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy preoperative chemotherapy alone does not seem to increase peri-operative complications and mortality. Responders to pre-operative treatment clearly have a survival advantage as compared to those who do not respond. The use of positron emission tomography to measure changes in glucose metabolism of the primary tumor can predict response early after initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and thus help to select patients who will or will not benefit from this approach. The best treatment strategy for non-responders to neoadjuvant therapy remains to be defined.