Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus
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In the UK, the standard of care for esophageal cancer has generally combined surgery with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) being reserved for certain subgroups. Chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery (trimodality therapy) has not been widely adopted. The outcomes of patients undergoing dCRT or trimodality therapy at our cancer center between 2004 and 2012 were restrospectively analyzed. ⋯ The 5-year OS rates were 38% and 58%, respectively. Postoperative mortality rate was low at 1.8%, and the pathological complete response rate was 23.6%. In conclusion, trimodality treatment for patients with esophageal and junctional gastroesophageal tumors offers high rates of 2-year survival, and the potential for long-term cure. dCRT is an established alternative for patients that are not fit or suitable for surgery.