A retrospective study of definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with resectable small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the esophagus

Background Standard treatment for resectable small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the esophagus (SCNEC-E) remains to be established. Methods We retrospectively studied 7 consecutive patients with resectable SCNEC-E who received definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) to evaluate the safety and efficacy. Treatment consisted of two courses of chemotherapy with cisplatin (80 mg/m 2 on day 1) and etoposide (100 mg/m 2 on days 1–3) or carboplatin (AUC 5 on day 1) and etoposide (80 mg/m 2 on days 1–3) given every 4 weeks during dCRT. The total radiation dose was 50.4 Gy (28 fractions). Results The clinical stage was IA in 1 patient, IB in 2 patients, IIA in 3 patients, and IIB in 1 patient. Definitive CRT was completed in all patients. The median overall treatment time of radiotherapy was 44 days. The chemotherapy regimen included in dCRT was cisplatin and etoposide in 3 patients and carboplatin and etoposide in 4 patients. Acute adverse events of grade 3 or 4 were neutropenia 100%, thrombocytopenia 43%, febrile neutropenia 43%, and nausea 14%. There were no late grade 3 or 4 adverse events. The median survival time was 32 months. The complete response rate was 100%. The recurrence rate was 43%. The median survival of the 4 patients without recurrence was 56 months. Conclusions Definitive CRT with cisplatin and etoposide or carboplatin and etoposide is a feasible treatment for the resectable SCNEC-E, and long-term survival can be achieved in some patients.