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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: Thorac Surg Clin. 2017 Aug;27(3):227–244. doi: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2017.04.001

Table 12.

A Summary of Studies Supporting Induction Chemoradiation for Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer.

Study Design, Year of Study Number of
Patients		 Conclusions
Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal or Junctional Cancer (CROSS)54, 55 Randomized controlled trial (2012) 366 Favored induction chemoradiation

  • T1N1, T2-3N0-1 patients

  • No difference in perioperative mortality or complication rates

  • Survival was 49.4 months with CRT vs 24.0 months with surgery alone
Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy plus surgery versus surgery alone for oesophageal or junctional cancer (CROSS): long-term results of a randomized controlled trial56 Randomized controlled trial – long-term follow up for initial CROSS trial (2015) 366 Favored induction chemoradiation

  • T1N1, T2-3N0-1 patients

  • Confirmed findings from the initial CROSS trial remained true long-term

  • Adenocarcinoma survival: 43.2 months with CRT vs 27.1 months with surgery alone

  • Squamous cell carcinoma survival: 81.6 months with CRT vs 21.1 months with surgery alone
Phase III trial of trimodality therapy with cisplatin, fluorouracil, radiotherapy, and surgery compared with surgery alone for esophageal cancer: CALGB 978157 Randomized controlled trial (2008) 56 Favored induction chemoradiation

  • T2-3N0-1, T4N0 patients

  • No difference in treatment mortality or postoperative complication rates

  • Survival was 4.48 years with CRT vs 1.79 years with surgery alone
A comparison of multimodal therapy and surgery for esophageal adenocarcinoma58 Randomized controlled trial (1996) 102 Favored induction chemoradiation

  • Survival was 16 months with CRT vs 11 months with surgery alone based on intention to treat

  • Survival was 32 months with CRT vs 11 months with surgery alone based on treatment received

Data from Refs 54–58