Long-term complete response in stage IVa esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with chemoradiotherapy and modulated electro-hyperthermia: A case report
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma accompanied by severe systemic compromise, such as cachexia, infection, and anemia, is associated with extremely poor prognosis. Achieving durable complete remission in these patients remains uncommon. Adjunctive hyperthermia has been proposed to enhance the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy, but clinical evidence supporting long-term outcomes remains limited.
CASE SUMMARY
We report the case of a 51-year-old man with stage IVa (cT4N3M0) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma complicated by cachexia, severe anemia, and pneumonia. Following stabilization with intensive supportive care, including infection control, nutritional support, and blood transfusion, the patient underwent definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy delivered by volumetric modulated arc therapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. Adjunctive modulated electro-hyperthermia was administered during radiotherapy. Treatment was completed without interruption, resulting in a complete response confirmed by endoscopy and computed tomography, and further supported by histopathological evaluation demonstrating a pathological complete response. The patient has remained disease-free for more than five years of follow-up.
CONCLUSION
Multimodal therapy combined with intensive supportive care may enable durable remission in selected patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Penicillins for Treatment of Pneumococcal Pneumonia: Does In Vitro Resistance Really Matter?
- Thiophenes—Naturally Occurring Plant Metabolites: Biological Activities and In Silico Evaluation of Their Potential as Cathepsin D Inhibitors
- Inhalable Mannosylated Rifampicin–Curcumin Co-Loaded Nanomicelles with Enhanced In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy for an Optimized Pulmonary Tuberculosis Therapy
- Development and validation of microbial bioassay for quantification of Levofloxacin in pharmaceutical preparations
- GC-MS Analysis and Biomedical Therapy of Oil from n-Hexane Fraction of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f.: In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Approach
- Propranolol, chlorpromazine and diclofenac restore susceptibility of extensively drug-resistant (XDR)-Acinetobacter baumannii to fluoroquinolones
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.