Developments in Treatment of Esophageal/Gastric Cancer

Advances have been achieved in the therapy of esophageal and gastric cancer (including carcinoma of gastroesophageal junction); however, it poses a continuous challenge to treat this highly virulent disease effectively. The concept of the benefits of perioperative (pre- or/and post-) therapy (chemotherapy or chemoradiation) has been accepted and confirmed by several large randomized phase III studies globally in different regions, settings, and patient population (INT 0116, MAGIC, ACTS-GC, and JCOG 9907). Efficacy of combination of newer cytotoxic chemotherapy agents has been demonstrated with increased progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic disease (e.g., REAL-2, V325, SPIRITS, and COG9912). Encouraging results have been shown from recent preliminary data with biological and target-oriented agents in the treatment of esophageal and gastric cancer.