Peri-operative Chemotherapy in Patients with Oesophageal and Gastro-oesophageal Junction Cancer - Three Years of Experience

Peri-operative chemotherapy has been found to benefit patients with oesophageal and gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. This study's aim was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of this treatment. The study included patients with carcinoma of the lower oesophagus and gastro-oesophageal junction in whom the disease was evaluated as potentially operable. Chemotherapy (CHT) consisted of three preoperative and three postoperative cycles of intravenous epirubicin and cisplatin on day 1 plus a continuous infusion of fluorouracil for 21 days (ECF) or oral capecitabine for 14 days (ECCap). Postoperative radio-chemotherapy (CRT) with fluorouracil or capecitabine after CHT was indicated in patients with two and more positive lymph nodes. Sixty-three patients started the treatment. Median follow-up was 32 months. Preoperative CHT was completed by 62 patients,