Neoadjuvant docetaxel, oxaliplatin and S‑1 (DOS) combination chemotherapy for patients with resectable adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction

Backgrounds Since the prognosis of patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) remains poor, more intensive treatments, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), should be developed. We retrospectively examined whether neoadjuvant docetaxel, oxaliplatin, and S‑1 (DOS) combination chemotherapy resulted in a favorable clinical response and acceptable toxicity in patients with AEG. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 36 consecutive patients with cStage IIB–IV AEG (Siewert types I–III). Regarding stage IV disease, patients with resectable distant lymph node metastasis (M1-LYM) were eligible. Patients underwent three 3-week cycles of docetaxel (40 mg/m 2 ) and oxaliplatin (100 mg/m 2 ) on day 1 plus oral S-1 (80–120 mg according to body surface area) from day 1 to 14. Surgical resection was performed within 2–4 weeks after completion of NAC. Results Three cycles of neoadjuvant DOS were completed in 28 (78%) patients. Grade 3–4 neutropenia, anorexia, and diarrhea were observed in 26 (72%), 7 (19%), and 4 (11%) patients, respectively. Febrile neutropenia occurred in six (17%) patients. There were no treatment-related deaths. R0 resection was achieved in 35 (97%) patients, and postoperative morbidities of Clavien–Dindo grade III or higher were observed in 6 (17%) patients. Pathological complete response was observed in 11 (31%) of 36 patients. Pathological response rates of grade ≥ 2 and grade ≥ 1b were 47 and 72%, respectively. Two-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 60.1 and 81.2%, respectively. Conclusions Neoadjuvant DOS therapy for AEG produced high pathological response rates with an acceptable safety profile, and may be a promising treatment strategy.