Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy versus Chemoradiation Prior to Esophagectomy: Impact on Rate of Complete Pathologic Response and Survival in Esophageal Cancer Patients

The authors queried the NCDB to compare outcomes for patients undergoing induction chemotherapy vs chemoradiotherapy followed by resection for esophageal cancer.  The vast majority received chemoradiotherapy (87.5%), which was associated with a better pCR rate and a lower positive margin rate than chemotherapy.   30 and 90-day mortality rates were similar.  In spite of this, there was no difference in overall survival between the groups.