Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin plus vinorelbine versus cisplatin plus fluorouracil for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A matched case–control study

Abstract Background To compare the clinical outcomes of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with cisplatin/vinorelbine versus cisplatin/fluorouracil in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Methods Between 2000 and 2012, 279 patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) undergoing neoadjuvant CRT followed by surgery were reviewed. Through a matched case–control study, 57 patients treated with cisplatin/vinorelbine were matched 1:1 to patients who received cisplatin/fluorouracil according to age, sex, performance status, tumor location, tumor length, and pretreatment TNM stage. Results Patient and disease-related characteristics were comparable between the two groups. The pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was 47.4% for the cisplatin/vinorelbine group and 28.1% for the cisplatin/fluorouracil group ( P =0.034). Median overall survival (OS) in the cisplatin/vinorelbine group was significantly better compared with the cisplatin/fluorouracil group (52.8 vs. 25.2months), with 3-year OS rates of 64.3% vs. 31.3%, respectively ( P =0.001). However, cisplatin/vinorelbine was associated with a significantly higher rate of grade 3–4 leukopenia than cisplatin/fluorouracil ( P =0.03). Multivariate analysis showed that being female, age ⩾55years, pCR after CRT, and chemotherapy with cisplatin/vinorelbine were independent positive prognostic factors for survival. Conclusions Cisplatin/vinorelbine might lead to a higher pCR rate and better survival outcomes than cisplatin/fluorouracil in esophageal SCC. The incidence of hematologic toxicity is increased with cisplatin/vinorelbine, but is tolerable and manageable. Prospective controlled studies are required to confirm the efficacy of this regimen.