Preoperative hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy for patients with incompletely resected carcinoma of the esophagus

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Abstract
Two hundred eighty‐nine patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus underwent subtotal esophagectomy from December 1965 to June 1986. Resection of esophageal carcinoma was absolutely noncurative in 64 patients (20%) due to invasion to the surrounding structures. These 64 patients were subdivided as follows into three groups based on the type of preoperative treatment: Group I included 16 patients without preoperative treatment; Group II included 38 patients with preoperative radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy (average doses: radiation 37.3 Gy, 1‐(2‐tetrahydrofuryl)‐5‐fluorouracil [tegafur] 8.4 g); Group III included 10 patients who underwent preoperative hyperthermia (42°C to 45°C) combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy (average doses: radiation 33 Gy, bleomycin 33.9 mg, or cis‐diamine dichloroplatinum 75 mg, hyperthermia 6.2 times). There were no significant differences in terms of postoperative therapy among the three groups. The median survival times for patients in Groups I, II, and III were 6, 7.5 and 11 months, respectively. The 2‐year survival rates for patients in Groups I, II, and III were 0, 15.6%, and 34.3%, respectively. The prognosis in Group III was superior to that for Group I (P < 0.05) and Group II. These results suggest that preoperative hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy could prolong survival even in patients who have had noncurative resection.