Neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment strategy for patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) remains undetermined. This study compared outcomes in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for EAC. METHODS: Patients who underwent nCT or nCRT followed by surgery for EAC were identified from a prospective database (2000-2017) and included. After propensity score matching, the impact of the treatments on postoperative complications, in-hospital mortality, pathological outcomes, and survival rates were compared. RESULTS: Of the 396 eligible patients, 262 patients were analysed following matching with 131 patients in both groups. There were no significant differences between the nCT and nCRT groups for overall complications (59% vs 57%, P = 0.802) or in-hospital mortality (2% vs 0%, P = 0.156). Patients who had nCRT had more R0 resections (93% vs 83%, P = 0.013), and higher pathological complete response rates (15% vs 5%, P < 0.001). No differences in 5-year overall survival rates (nCT vs nCRT; 44% vs 33%, P = 0.645) were found. CONCLUSION: In this study no differences between nCT and nCRT were seen in postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality in patients treated for EAC. Inspite of improved complete resection and pathological response there was no difference in the overall survival between the treatment modalities.

Single institution retrospective review of perioperative chemotherapy in adult and adolescent patients with operable osteosarcoma.

AIMS: Perioperative chemotherapy has improved the prognosis for patients with operable osteosarcoma. The literature is conflicting about which regimen is optimal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival outcomes of two cohorts of patients with operable osteosarcoma treated with different perioperative chemotherapy regimens. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with operable osteosarcoma treated at the Princess Alexandra Hospital from 1986 to 2009. The standard perioperative chemotherapy regimen changed from the modified T10 Rosen protocol to cisplatin/doxorubicin in 1997. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) curves were generated for the cisplatin/doxorubicin and the modified T10 Rosen cohorts. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients were identified of whom 63 had potentially curable disease. Of these, 24 received the modified T10 Rosen regimen and 39 received cisplatin/doxorubicin. There was a non-significant trend toward better OS and DFS in the patients who received the modified T10 Rosen protocol. CONCLUSION: The trend toward poorer survival in the cisplatin/doxorubicin cohort, in combination with current evidence, has prompted our institution to change its practice.