Endoscopic Resection for Early-Stage Esophageal Cancer, Are We There for Squamous As Well?

Superficial esophageal squamous cell cancer (SESCC) is often managed with esophagectomy with or without chemoradiotherapy. Esophagectomy has a significant complication rate and is not an option for many patients. In the current issue, a retrospective single center study evaluated 66 patients with SESCC. With endoscopic resection followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, the reported 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 98%, 87% and 75% respectively, comparable to survival rates after esophagectomy or definitive chemoradiotherapy. This study suggests a key role for endoscopic management in SESCC, and provides important data on the combination of endoscopic management plus adjuvant chemoradiation.