Importance of Surveillance and Success of Salvage Strategies After Definitive Chemoradiation in Patients With Esophageal Cancer [1]
This retrospective study evaluated recurrence patterns and management of recurrence after bimodality (chemoradiotherapy) for esophageal cancer in 276 pts. Local relapse alone developed in 23%, and 36% of those patients had salvage esophagectomy. Median survival for those undergoing salvage esophagectomy was 59 mos, whereas pts who were not offered salvage esophagectomy had a median survival of 9.5 mos. Over 90% of isolated relapses occured during the first 2 years.