S-1 and Radiotherapy Effective in Older Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Chemoradiotherapy without surgery is standard treatment for esophageal squamous cancer, combining either a taxane or platinum agent or a fluorinated pyrimidine or platinum regimen with concurrent radiotherapy. Although esophageal cancer is largely a disease of the elderly, limited data are available about the treatment approach and outcome in older patients.

Investigators report results of a multicenter, open-label, phase 3 trial in China comparing radiotherapy alone with combined chemoradiotherapy with the oral fluorinated pyrimidine, S-1, in patients aged 70 to 85 years with stage IB to IVB esophageal cancer. Of 298 patients enrolled, median age was 77 years, 26% were age 80 or older, 99% had squamous cancer, and 45% had stage III disease.…