Influence of Different Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Regimens on Response, Prognosis, and Complication Rate in Patients with Esophagogastric Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Perioperative chemotherapy improves survival in patients with advanced esophagogastric cancer, but the optimal treatment regimen remains unclear. More intensive chemotherapy may improve outcome, but also increase toxicity and complications.

Methods: A total of 843 patients were included in this retrospective study and stratified in 4 groups: doublet therapy with cisplatin or oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil (groups A/B) or triplet therapy with additional epirubicin or taxane (groups C/D).

Is preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery the appropriate treatment for signet ring cell containing adenocarcinomas of the esophagogastric junction and stomach?

Background: Recent data suggest primary resection as the preferable approach in patients with signet ring cell gastric cancer (SRC). The aim of our retrospective exploratory study was to evaluate the influence of SRC on prognosis and response in esophagogastric adenocarcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: A total of 723 locally advanced esophagogastric adenocarcinomas (cT3/4 N any) documented in a prospective database from two academic centers were classified according to the WHO definition for SRC (more than 50 % SRC) and analyzed for their association with response and prognosis after neoadjuvant treatment.