Early Metabolic Response in Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer Undergoing Induction Chemoradiotherapy

Early Metabolic Response Evaluation With 18-FDG PET-CT in Esophageal Cancer Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Followed by Esophagectomy

Early metabolic response evaluation may predict clinical and histopathological response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Its value in neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is unknown. Our aim was to assess the value of early metabolic response after one cycle of chemotherapy using 18-FDG-PET-CT to predict pathological response and outcome in cT2-4 N0/+ esophageal cancer treated by neoadjuvant CRT and esophagectomy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• locally advanced esophageal cancer (cT2-4 N0/+)

Exclusion Criteria:

• PET-CT not performed at UZLeuven
• Other tumor types
• Distant metastases (organ)