Outcome for esophageal cancer following treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy but not esophagectomy: Nonsurgical treatment of esophageal cancer

Figures & data

Table 1 Descriptive parameters of all patients undergoing nonsurgical treatment

	Nonmetastatic n = 75	Metastatic n = 52	p
Median age at diagnosis (range)	76.3 (46.3–90.6)	64.8 (32.8–87.8)	<0.001*
Gender			0.224
Male	51 (68.0%)	29 (55.8%)
Female	24 (32.0%)	23 (44.2%)
Median BMI (range)	23.8 (15.0–42.9)	25.5 (15.0–32.0)	0.414
Comorbidity
Cardiac			0.511
Yes	33 (44.0%)	19 (36.5%)
No	42 (56.0%)	33 (63.5%)
Pulmonary			0.117
Yes	20 (26.7%)	7 (13.5%)
No	55 (73.3%)	45 (86.5%)
Hepatic			0.674
Yes	3 (4.0%)	2 (3.8%)
No	72 (96.0%)	50 (96.2%)
Renal			0.772
Yes	5 (6.7%)	2 (3.8%)
No	70 (93.3%)	50 (96.2%)
Diabetes			0.566
Yes	13 (17.3%)	12 (23.1%)
No	62 (82.7%)	40 (76.9%)
Histological type			0.794
Adenocarcinoma	42 (56.0%)	29 (55.8%)
Squamous cell carcinoma	30 (40.0%)	22 (42.3%)
Other	3 (4.0%)	1 (1.9%)
Tumor location			0.826
Upper third	5 (6.7%)	3 (5.8%)
Middle third	14 (18.7%)	12 (23.1%)
Lower third	56 (74.6%)	37 (71.1%)
Percentage of circumference involved			0.110
0%–25%	6 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)
25%–50%	5 (6.7%)	2 (3.8%)
50%–75%	5 (6.7%)	6 (11.6%)
75%–100%	42 (56.0%)	36 (69.2%)
No information	17 (22.6%)	8 (15.4%)

Abbreviation: BMI, body mass index.

Table 2 Symptoms and results of palliation of all patients (n = 127)

	Nonmetastatic n = 75	Metastatic n = 52	p
Dysphagia
Yes	64 (85.3%)	50 (96.2%)	0.093
No	11 (14.7%)	2 (3.8%)
Palliation of dysphagia			0.036
Completely	22 (34.3%)	10 (20.0%)
Partial	19 (29.7%)	22 (44.0%)
No palliation	6 (9.4%)	12 (24.0%)
No information	17 (26.6%)	6 (12.0%)
Pain			0.040
Yes	14 (18.7%)	19 (36.5%)
No	61 (81.3%)	33 (63.5%)
Palliation of pain			0.011
Completely	6 (42.9%)	3 (15.8%)
Partial	0 (0.0%)	6 (31.6%)
No palliation	0 (0.0%)	3 (15.8%)
No information	8 (57.1%)	7 (36.8%)
Bleeding			0.998
Yes	6 (8.0%)	5 (9.6%)
No	69 (92.0%)	47 (90.4%)
Palliation of bleeding			1.00
Completely	6 (100.0%)	5 (100.05)
Partial	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)
No palliation	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)
No information	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)

Table 3 Treatment parameters of all patients (n = 127)

	Nonmetastatic n = 75	Metastatic n = 52	p
Type of therapy			0.0097
Chemotherapy alone	16 (21.3%)	12 (23.1%)
Radiotherapy alone	12 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)
Combined	47 (62.7%)	40 (76.9%)
Chemo- or radiotherapy-related morbidity			0.422
Yes	28 (37.3%)	15 (28.8%)
No	47 (62.7%)	37 (71.2%)
Hepatic	2	1
Renal	1	0
Radiation esophagitis	20	12
Neutropenia requiring treatment	2	1
Other	3	1
Chemo- or radiotherapy-related mortality			0.747
Yes	2 (2.7%)	1 (1.9%)
No	73 (97.3%)	51 (98.1%)
Stenting undertaken later			0.566
Yes	13 (17.3%)	12 (23.1%)
No	62 (82.7%)	40 (76.9%)
Dilatation undertaken later			0.329
Yes	11 (14.7%)	12 (23.1%)
No	64 (85.3%)	40 (76.9%)
Feeding jejunostomy undertaken later			0.384
Yes	9 (12.0%)	10 (19.2%)
No	66 (88.0%)	42 (80.8%)

Figure 1 Kaplan–Meier survival curve of the two groups. There was a significant difference in survival in favor of the nonmetastatic group (log rank test, p < 0.001).

Figure 2 Kaplan–Meier survival curve for the nonmetastatic group stratified by histological types. There was no significant difference in survival (log rank test, p = 0.897).

Figure 3 Kaplan–Meier survival curve for the metastatic group stratified by histological type. There was no significant difference in survival (log rank test, p = 0.429).

Table 4 Descriptives of the subgroup of patients who underwent combined chemoradiotherapy (n = 87)

	Nonmetastatic n = 47	Metastatic n = 40	p
Median age at diagnosis (range)	75.9 (46.3–90.6)	66.5 (32.8–87.8)	<0.001
Gender			0.083
Male	33	24
Female	14	16
Comorbidity
Cardiac			0.112
Yes	24	15
No	23	25
Pulmonary			0.083
Yes	14	6
No	33	34
Hepatic			0.315
Yes	3	1
No	44	39
Renal			0.817
Yes	2	2
No	45	38
Diabetes			0.071
Yes	9	11
No	38	29
Histological type			0.604
Adenocarcinoma	25	22
Squamous cell carcinoma	20	18
Other	2	0
Tumor location			0.825
Upper third	4	2
Middle third	11	11
Lower third	32	27
Chemo- or radiotherapy-related morbidity			0.704
Yes	17	12
No	30	28
Chemo- or radiotherapy-related mortality			0.547
Yes	1	1
No	39	46