[Postoperative adjuvant therapies for esophageal carcinoma]

Recent studies have focused on biochemical modulation with the combined use of CDDP and 5-FU for esophageal cancer. The combination of chemo- and radiotherapy is one of the most effective regimens for esophageal carcinoma. This combination therapy led to complete clinical remission in up to 30% of the cases in a prospective randomized study. We introduce many trials about postoperative adjuvant therapy after surgical treatment for esophageal carcinoma. The development and investigation of more effective chemotherapy regimens, as well as precise assessments of the response to preoperative treatment, is the challenge for randomized trials in the future.