Involvement of homologous recombination in the synergism between cisplatin and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibition.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) plays a critical role in responding to DNA damage, by activating DNA repair pathways responsible for cellular survival. Inhibition of PARP is used to treat certain solid cancers, such as breast and ovarian cancers. However, its effectiveness with other solid cancers, such as esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), has not been clarified.

Involvement of ribonucleotide reductase-M1 in 5-fluorouracil‑induced DNA damage in esophageal cancer cell lines.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most well established chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM-1) is the rate‑limiting enzyme in de novo DNA synthesis, and has been considered to play an important role in the 5-FU metabolic pathway. However, the means by which RRM-1 participates in the anticancer effects of 5-FU and cisplatin (CDDP) have not been well studied.

Advanced esophageal cancer with an esophago-bronchial fistula successfully treated by chemoradiotherapy following esophageal bypass surgery: report of a case.

Esophageal bypass surgery using a gastric tube prior to definitive chemoradiotherapy in preparation for the formation of esophago-tracheal or bronchial fistula is a possible strategy for esophageal cancer invading the airway. This report presents the case of a patient with esophageal cancer involving the left main bronchus who underwent esophageal bypass followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy and who has achieved long-term survival without deterioration of his quality of life, in spite of the development of a malignant esophago-bronchial fistula.

Advanced esophageal cancer with situs inversus totalis successfully treated with chemoradiotherapy followed by esophagectomy: case report.

We report a case of advanced esophageal cancer successfully treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by esophagectomy in a 53-year-old man with situs inversus totalis. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in a clinical examination revealed a tumor in the lower third of the esophagus, and moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed from the biopsy findings. He was referred to us and the disease was diagnosed as esophageal cancer (clinical T3N1M0, cStage III) after further evaluation.