Randomized clinical trial of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal SCC

The prognosis of patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma remains poor after surgery. A randomized multicenter study in China evaluated neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for LA ESCC. The five-year overall survival was 59.9% in the NCRT plus surgery group versus 49.1% in the surgery alone group (HR 0.74; p=0.03), and the five-year disease-free survival was 63.6% versus 43.0% (HR 0,60; p<0.001). The authors conclude that neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy significantly improved outcomes of patients with LA ESCC.