International Journal of Clinical Oncology

, Volume 21, Issue 1, pp 88–94 | Cite as

Clinical outcomes of radiotherapy for esophageal cancer between 2004 and 2008: the second survey of the Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group (JROSG)

  • Yasumasa Nishimura
  • Keiichi Jingu
  • Satoshi Itasaka
  • Yoshiharu Negoro
  • Yuji Murakami
  • Katsuyuki Karasawa
  • Gen Kawaguchi
  • Fumiaki Isohashi
  • Masao Kobayashi
  • Yoshiyuki Itoh
  • Takuro Ariga
Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Background

This second questionnaire-based survey was performed to determine the clinical results of definitive esophageal cancer treatment with radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) between 2004 and 2008.

Materials/methods

Clinical results of definitive RT for patients were collected from major Japanese institutions. Patients were classified into three groups: (A) stage I, (B) resectable stages II–III, (C) unresectable stages III–IVA. For group A, all patients treated with RT alone or CRT were included. For groups B and C, only those treated with CRT were included.

Results

In total, 990 patients (group A 259, group B 333, group C 398 patients) were included from 11 institutions. In group A, 199 patients (78 %) were treated with CRT, and 60 patients (23 %) received RT alone. In groups B and C, 420 patients (57 %) were treated with full-dose cisplatin/5-FU, and 181 patients (25 %) with low-dose protracted-infusion cisplatin/5-FU. The median and range of the 5-year overall survival rate were 73 % (40–94 %) for group A, 40 % (0–57 %) for group B, and 18 % (6–26 %) for group C, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rates were consistently good for five high-volume centers where more than 20 patients/year with esophageal cancer were treated definitively as compared with the remaining six medium-volume centers (5–15 patients/year). The median and range of the incidence of grade ≥3 late toxicities were 10 % and 6–22 %, respectively.

Conclusions

A wide disparity in 5-year overall survival rates among the institutions was still apparent in the second survey for groups A and B.

Keywords

Esophageal cancer Chemoradiation therapy Clinical outcome National survey 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by Health Sciences Research Grants for a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research (H23-009, H26-090) from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, and the National Cancer Center Research and Development Funds (26-A-4).

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Copyright information

© Japan Society of Clinical Oncology 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Yasumasa Nishimura
    • 1
  • Keiichi Jingu
    • 2
  • Satoshi Itasaka
    • 3
  • Yoshiharu Negoro
    • 4
  • Yuji Murakami
    • 5
  • Katsuyuki Karasawa
    • 6
  • Gen Kawaguchi
    • 7
  • Fumiaki Isohashi
    • 8
  • Masao Kobayashi
    • 9
  • Yoshiyuki Itoh
    • 10
  • Takuro Ariga
    • 11
  1. 1.Department of Radiation OncologyKinki University Faculty of MedicineOsaka-SayamaJapan
  2. 2.Department of Radiation OncologyTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
  3. 3.Department of Radiation Oncology and Image-Applied Therapy, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
  4. 4.Department of RadiologyTenri HospitalTenriJapan
  5. 5.Department of Radiation OncologyHiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesHiroshimaJapan
  6. 6.Division of Radiation OncologyTokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center, Komagome HospitalTokyoJapan
  7. 7.Department of Radiation OncologyNiigata University Medical and Dental HospitalNiigataJapan
  8. 8.Department of Radiation OncologyOsaka University Graduate School of MedicineSuitaJapan
  9. 9.Department of RadiologyJikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
  10. 10.Department of RadiologyNagoya UniversityNagoyaJapan
  11. 11.Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical ScienceUniversity of the RyukyusOkinawaJapan

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