Single-modality therapy can be used with curative intent for locally confined disease. For the treatment of most solid tumors further improvement is achieved by combining the three standard treatment approaches: surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. This article reviews the chemoradiotherapy approach to loco-regional treatment with esophageal cancer as the disease focus. The authors present the molecular basis for the enhanced efficacy resulting from the use of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and discuss how this mechanistic approach can be translated to the clinic.
- Lawrence Kleinberg
- Michael K Gibson
- Arlene A Forastiere
