Chemotherapy in esophageal cancer Journal Article


Authors: Ilson, D. H.; Kelson, D. P.
Article Title: Chemotherapy in esophageal cancer
Abstract: Esophageal cancer is a virulent malignancy, with the conventional approach of surgery or radiation therapy offering patients only a small chance for long-term disease-free survival. The frequent early systemic dissemination of disease has prompted an ongoing interest in the study of chemotherapy. A broad range of antitumor agents have been studied which demonstrate moderate antitumor activity. A number of combination chemotherapy regimens, mainly cisplatin-based, have been studied, which have consistently greater antitumor activity in local regional disease compared with metastatic disease. The use of preoperative chemotherapy in the surgical treatment of the disease remains investigational. Results from clinical trials comparing radiation therapy alone with concurrent radiation and chemotherapy demonstrate a survival benefit for the use of a combination of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation compared to radiation therapy alone. However, current studies with conventional chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are likely to impart at best a modest to moderate improvement in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma. The priority in chemotherapy trials, therefore, remains the identification of new active chemotherapy agents. The search for novel therapeutic approaches, exploiting advances in understanding of the molecular biology of the disease, continues.
Keywords: cancer chemotherapy; cancer surgery; review; cisplatin; doxorubicin; fluorouracil; cancer combination chemotherapy; antineoplastic agents; cancer radiotherapy; chemotherapy; methotrexate; antineoplastic agent; adenocarcinoma; carboplatin; etoposide; antineoplastic combined chemotherapy protocols; alkylating agent; antineoplastic activity; ifosfamide; lomustine; bleomycin; vindesine; idarubicin; mitomycin; esophagus cancer; antineoplastic antibiotic; antineoplastic antimetabolite; clinical trials; esophageal neoplasms; esophageal; mitoguazone; aminothiadiazole; amonafide; trimetrexate; epidermoid tumor; dichloromethotrexate; cancer; human; antineoplastic alkaloid
Journal Title: Anti-Cancer Drugs
Volume: 4
Issue: 3
ISSN: 0959-4973
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins  
Date Published: 1993-06-01
Start Page: 287
End Page: 299
Language: English
PUBMED: 8358056
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI: 10.1097/00001813-199306000-00001
DOI/URL:
Notes: Author David P. Kelsen's last name is misspelled on the original publication -- Source: Scopus
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  1. David H Ilson
    434 Ilson
  2. David P Kelsen
    537 Kelsen