Treatment options for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) depends on its etiology. For mucosal cancer, endoscopic resection is standard; while for locally advanced cancer, esophagectomy is the main treatment. When the tumor is more advanced, neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy is added. For unresectable cancer, concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the standard therapy.

The standard chemotherapy for esophageal SCC is a cisplatin- and 5-fluorouracil (CF)-based regimen. Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the standard treatment for unresectable esophageal SCC and is also an option for resectable tumors. For patients who are inoperable, concurrent CRT should be the standard of care. Docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) therapy is a promising candidate for chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy because an excellent local control rate and pathological remission rate have been reported. Although salvage surgery after definitive CRT is a practical treatment, judicious patient selection is crucial.

Presently, the standard regimen for esophageal SCC is CF. DCF is expected to be the next standard regimen. In the near future, some new therapeutic options, such as molecular targeted therapy or particle beam therapy, may confer further advantages. A thorough understanding of these therapeutic modalities is important to achieve this endeavor.