Skip to main content
Erschienen in: BMC Gastroenterology 1/2022

Open Access 01.12.2022 | Research

Consolidative chemotherapy after definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients: a population based cohort study

verfasst von: Chen-Yuan Lin, Ming-Yu Lien, Chi-Ching Chen, Hsin-Yuan Fang, Yu-Sen Lin, Chien-Kuang Chen, Jian-Xun Chen, Ting-Yu Lu, Tzu-Min Huang, Te-Chun Hsieh, Shung-Shung Sun, Chia-Chin Li, Chun-Ru Chien

Erschienen in: BMC Gastroenterology | Ausgabe 1/2022

Abstract

Background

The role of consolidative chemotherapy (CCT) for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-ESCC) patients treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (dCCRT) is unclear. We aimed to compare the overall survival (OS) of those treated with vs without CCT via a population based approach.

Methods

Eligible LA-ESCC patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2017 were identified via the Taiwan Cancer Registry. We used propensity score (PS) weighting to balance observable potential confounders between groups. The hazard ratio (HR) of death and incidence of esophageal cancer mortality (IECM) were compared between those with vs without CCT. We also evaluated the OS in supplementary analyses via alternative approaches.

Results

Our primary analysis consisted of 368 patients in whom covariates were well balanced after PS weighting. The HR of death when CCT was compared to without was 0.67 (95% confidence interval 0.52–0.86, P = 0.002). The HR of IECM was 0.66 (P = 0.04). The HR of OS remained similarly in favor of CCT in supplementary analyses.

Conclusions

We found that CCT was associated with significantly improved OS for LA-ESCC patients treated with dCCRT. Randomized controlled trials were needed to confirm this finding.
Hinweise
Chen-Yuan Lin, Ming-Yu Lien, Chi-Ching Chen and Hsin-Yuan Fang contributed equally to this work

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Abkürzungen
95% CI
95% Confidence interval
3DCRT
Three-dimensional radiotherapy
BMI
Body Mass Index
CCT
Chemo therapy
dCCRT
Definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy
HR
Hazard ratio
ICT
Induction chemotherapy
HWDC
Health and Welfare Data Science Center
IECM
Incidence of esophageal cancer mortality
IMRT
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy
LA-ESCC
Locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
NHI
National Health Insurance
OS
Overall survival
PA
Primary analysis
PET
Positron emission tomography
PS
Propensity Score
PSW
Propensity Score Weighting
RCT
Randomized controlled trial
RT
Radiotherapy
SA-1
The first supplementary analysis
SA-2
The second supplementary analysis
SqCC
Squamous cell carcinoma
TCR
Taiwan cancer registry

Background

Esophageal cancer was one of the major causes of cancer mortality around the world including Taiwan [1, 2]. Squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) was the common histology in the East whereas adenocarcinoma was more prevalent in the West [1, 2]. Most esophageal cancer patients were presented with locally advanced stage disease for whom definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (dCCRT) was commonly employed [36]. However, the long term survival outcomes of locally advanced esophageal cancer patients treated with dCCRT was still not satisfactory [710].
Treatment intensification via the use of consolidative (or called adjuvant) chemo therapy (CCT) after dCCRT for these patients may theoretically improve the outcome. However, it was not universally adopted as reflected in its mandatory use in some landmark randomized controlled trials (RCT) [8, 9] but excluded in the other RCTs [7, 10]. The role of CCT was also not clearly addressed in the current treatment guidelines [36]. A systematic review published in 2021 reported overall survival (OS) was significantly improved in the short term (1 year hazard ratio (HR) 0.542, P < 0.001) but not in the long term (5 year HR 0.923 P = 0.555) when CCT was compared to without CCT [11]. However, all the six studies regarding CCT in this systematic review were retrospective reviews from limited institutes [1217]. Due to the lack of population based study, we aimed to compare the OS of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-ESCC) patients treated with dCCRT with/without CCT via a population based approach.

Material and methods

Data source

Our study was a retrospective cohort study based on cancer registry. The analyzed data with personal identifiers removed was obtained from Health and Welfare Data Science Center (HWDC) database. The database included the Taiwan cancer registry (TCR), death registration, and reimbursement data for the whole Taiwan population provided by the Bureau of National Health Insurance (NHI). The TCR with comprehensive information (such as patient demographics, patient/disease/treatment characteristics) had been reported to be a good quality cancer registry [18]. This study had been approved by the Central Regional Research Ethics Committee at China Medical University Taichung Taiwan (CRREC-108-080 (CR2)).

Study design, study population, and intervention

The inclusion criteria of our study populations were (1) LA-ESCC adult (≥ 18 years old) patients diagnosed within 2011–2017 with locally-advanced stage defined as clinical stage cT2-4N0M0 or cT1-4N+M0 for the 7th American Joint Committee on Cancer staging; (2) treated with dCCRT without surgery according to the recording in TCR, with external beam radiotherapy 50–70 Gy in conventional fractionation. We excluded patients with multiple treatment records or prior other cancer(s) to ensure data quality. The study flowchart in concordant with STROBE statement [19] was depicted in Fig. 1.
The intervention (i.e., explanatory variable, with vs without CCT), the primary outcome (overall survival, OS) and the supplementary outcome (incidence of esophageal cancer mortality, IECM) were determined via the recordings of TCR or death registry. We defined the diagnostic date in TCR as the index date, and calculated OS/IECM from the index date to the death date (or Dec 31, 2019, i.e. the censoring date in death registry).

Covariates

We collected covariates according to our clinical knowledge [20] via modification from recent relevant studies [21] and our clinical research experiences [2224]. We used these covariates to adjust for potential nonrandomized treatment selection as defined as follows.
Patient demographics (age, gender, residency): age was classified as ≤ 58 or > 58 years old according a relevant study [21]. Patient residency region was classified as non-north or northern in Taiwan based on the variation in disease and care pattern we observed from clinical care and research experiences [24]. Patient characteristics (comorbidity, body mass index (BMI), drinking, smoking): comorbidity was determined by the modified Charlson comorbidity index score [25] and classified as with or without. BMI was classified as ≤ 18.5 or > 18.5 kg/m2 according to a relevant recent study [21]. The drinking and smoking were classified as no or yes.
Disease characteristics (grade, tumor location, tumor size, clinical T- & N-stage, clinical stage): Grade was classified as poorly or well/moderately differentiated. Tumor location was classified as upper, middle or lower. Tumor size was classified by a diameter ≤ 5 or > 5 cm. The clinical T-stage was classified as T1–T2 or T3–T4. The clinical N-stage was classified as N0 or N1–N2. The clinical stage was classified as II or III.
Diagnostic and treatment characteristics (use of positron emission tomography (PET), reason for no surgery, radiotherapy (RT) modality, RT break, RT dose, induction chemotherapy): The reason for “no surgery” was classified as either with contraindication or without contraindication (but patient refused or surgery was not planned). RT modality were classified as three-dimensional radiotherapy (3DCRT) or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The use of PET was classified as no or yes. For RT break, patients with radiotherapy prolongation was classified as ≤ 1 or > 1 week. RT dose was classified as low (50–50.4 Gy) or high (50.4–70 Gy) dose. The induction chemotherapy (ICT) was classified as with ICT (according to the recording in TCR plus systemic therapy at least 3 weeks before radiotherapy [11, 21]) or without ICT (patients started systemic therapy no earlier than 1 week before radiotherapy was started [11, 21]).

Statistical analyses

In the primary analysis (PA), we adopted propensity score (PS) weighting (PSW) approach using overlap weight as the framework for analysis [26, 27]. To balance the measured potential confounders [2830], we evaluated the probability of receiving CCT (vs. without CCT) as PS via a logistic regression model based on the above covariates, and then assessed the balance in covariates between groups via standardized difference [20, 30, 31]. In the weighted sample, we compared the hazard ratio (HR) of death between groups via Cox proportional hazards model for point estimation, and used the bootstrap method to estimate the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) [3234]. We evaluated the impact of potential unmeasured confounder(s) via E-value as suggested in the literature [35]. We also estimated IECM via the competing risk approach [36] between groups in the weighted sample.
In the first supplementary analysis (SA-1), we used alternative analytic framework (PS matching, PSM) among the study population of primary analysis, and then constructed 1:1 PS matched cohorts to compare the HR of death between groups via a robust variance estimator [32]. In the second supplementary analysis (SA-2), we limited our study population to those with clinical response recorded in TCR and performed the PSW analysis in this subgroup to compare the HR of death as well as the response rate between groups.
All statistical analyses in this study were performed with the software SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) and R version 4.1.0 (R Development Core Team, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria).

Results

Study population in the primary analysis

Our study population consisted of 368 eligible locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with dCCRT plus CCT (n = 103) or no CCT (n = 265) within 2011–2017 (Fig. 1). The patient characteristics were described in Table 1. Two covariates (tumor location, use of PET) were imbalanced before PS weighting, but all covariates achieved balance [20, 31] after PS weighting via overlap weights.
Table 1
Patient characteristics of the study population in the primary analysis
 
Patient characteristics before PSW
Patient characteristics (%) after PSWa
CCT (n = 103)
Without CCT (n = 265)
Standardized differenceb
CCT
Without CCT
Standardized differenceb
Number (%)b or mean (SD)b
Number (%)b or mean (SD)b
Age (years)
      
  ≤ 58
53 (51)
139 (52)
0.020
50
50
≈ 0
  > 58
50 (49)
126 (48)
 
50
50
 
Gender
      
 Female
5 (5)
12 (5)
0.015
5
5
≈ 0
 Male
98 (95)
253 (95)
 
95
95
 
Residency
      
 Non-north
77 (75)
185 (70)
0.111
73
73
≈ 0
 North
26 (25)
80 (30)
 
27
27
 
Comorbidity
      
 Without
91 (88)
233 (88)
0.013
89
89
≈ 0
 Withc
12 (12)
32 (12)
 
11
11
 
BMI (kg/m2)
      
  ≤ 18.5
22 (21)
62 (23)
0.049
21
21
≈ 0
  > 18.5
81 (79)
203 (77)
 
79
79
 
Drinking
      
 No
14 (14)
46 (17)
0.104
14
14
≈ 0
 Yes
89 (86)
219 (83)
 
86
86
 
Smoking
      
 No
10 (10)
43 (16)
0.195
11
11
≈ 0
 Yes
93 (90)
222 (84)
 
89
89
 
Grade
      
 Poorly
34 (33)
59 (22)
0.242
30
30
≈ 0
 Well/moderately differentiated
69 (67)
206 (78)
 
70
70
 
Tumor location
      
 Upper
56 (54)
97 (37)
 
50
50
 
 Middle
34 (33)
122 (46)
0.269
36
36
≈ 0
 Lower
13 (13)
46 (17)
0.133
14
14
≈ 0
Tumor size (cm)
      
  ≤ 5 cm
43 (42)
99 (37)
0.090
41
41
≈ 0
  > 5 cm
60 (58)
166 (63)
 
59
59
 
Clinical T-stage
      
 T1–T2
10 (10)
32 (12)
0.076
10
10
≈ 0
 T3–T4
93 (90)
233 (88)
 
90
90
 
Clinical N-stage
      
 N0
9 (9)
23 (9)
0.002
9
9
≈ 0
 N1-N2
94 (91)
242 (91)
 
91
91
 
Clinical stage
      
 II
11 (11)
30 (11)
0.020
12
12
≈ 0
 III
92 (89)
235 (89)
 
88
88
 
Reason for no surgery
      
 Without contraindication
99 (96)
248 (94)
0.115
95
95
≈ 0
 With contraindication
4 (4)
17 (6)
 
5
5
 
RT modality
      
 3DCRT
7 (7)
7 (3)
0.197
5
5
≈ 0
 IMRT
96 (93)
258 (97)
 
95
95
 
Use of PET
      
 No
45 (44)
77 (29)
0.308
37
37
≈ 0
 Yes
58 (56)
188 (71)
 
63
63
 
RT break
      
  ≤ 1 week
79 (77)
197 (74)
0.055
76
76
≈ 0
  > 1 week
24 (23)
68 (26)
 
24
24
 
RT dose
      
 Low
25 (24)
88 (33)
0.198
26
26
≈ 0
 High
78 (76)
177 (67)
 
74
74
 
Induction chemotherapy
      
 Without
98 (95)
258 (97)
0.117
96
96
≈ 0
 With
5 (5)
7 (3)
 
4
4
 
3DCRT, three-dimensional radiotherapy; BMI, Body Mass Index; CCT, consolidative chemotherapy; IGRT, image-guided radiotherapy; IMRT, intensity-modulated radiotherapy; PET, positron emission tomography; PSW, Propensity Score (PS) Weighting; RT, radiotherapy; SD, standard deviation
aWeighted proportion for each group
bRounded
cModified Carlson comorbidity score ≥ 1

Primary analysis

During the follow-up period with median follow-up 12 months (range 2–107 months), 298 deaths were observed (78 and 220 for patients with CCT or without CCT respectively). For survivors, the median follow-up was 63 months (range 28–107). In the unadjusted analysis, the 5-year OS rate was 26% and 17% for those with CCT and without CCT respectively (log-rank test, P = 0.005; Fig. 2). In the PSW analysis, the 5-year PSW-adjusted OS rate between groups were 28% (with CCT) and 18% (without CCT) respectively. The overlap weights adjusted OS curve was shown in Fig. 3. When CCT was compared to without CCT, the PSW adjusted HR of death was 0.67 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.52–0.86, P = 0.002). The observed HR 0.67 for OS could be explained by an unmeasured confounder associated with both selection of treatment and survival by a risk ratio of 1.97 (E-value) fold each, but weaker confounding factors could not. The result was also in favor of CCT for IECM (HR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.44–0.99, P = 0.04).

Supplementary analyses (SA-1, SA-2)

In the SA-1, we achieved all covariates balance (standardized difference ≤ 0.25 [31]) after PSM in the PS-matched subgroup (n = 182; Table 2). The 5-year OS rate was 26% (with CCT) and 19% (without CCT) respectively. The Kaplan Meier OS curve was shown in Fig. 4. There was also statistically significant difference for OS (HR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.50–0.94, P = 0.02).
Table 2
SA-1: patient characteristics of the PS-matched subgroup
 
CCT (n = 91)
Without CCT (n = 91)
Standardized differencea
Number or mean (SD)a
(%)a
Number or mean (SD)a
(%)a
Age (years)
     
  ≤ 58
47
(52)
44
(48)
0.066
  > 58
44
(48)
47
(52)
 
Gender
     
 Female
5
(5)
3
(3)
0.107
 Male
86
(95)
88
(97)
 
Residency
     
 Non-north
66
(73)
70
(77)
0.101
 North
25
(27)
21
(23)
 
Comorbidity
     
 Without
79
(87)
83
(91)
0.141
 Withb
12
(13)
8
(9)
 
BMI (kg/m2)
     
  ≤ 18.5
20
(22)
14
(15)
0.170
  > 18.5
71
(78)
77
(85)
 
Drinking
     
 No
13
(14)
15
(16)
0.061
 Yes
78
(86)
76
(84)
 
Smoking
     
 No
10
(11)
10
(11)
0
 Yes
81
(89)
81
(89)
 
Grade
     
 Poorly
28
(31)
23
(25)
0.123
 Well/moderately differentiated
63
(69)
68
(75)
 
Tumor location
     
 Upper
46
(51)
44
(48)
 
 Middle
32
(35)
35
(39)
0.068
 Lower
13
(14)
12
(13)
0.032
Tumor size (cm)
     
  ≤ 5 cm
38
(42)
43
(47)
0.111
  > 5 cm
53
(58)
48
(53)
 
Clinical T-stage
     
 T1–T2
10
(11)
9
(10)
0.036
 T3–T4
81
(89)
82
(90)
 
Clinical N-stage
     
 N0
9
(10)
8
(9)
0.038
 N1–N2
82
(90)
83
(91)
 
Clinical stage
     
 II
11
(12)
10
(11)
0.034
 III
80
(88)
81
(89)
 
Reason for no surgery
     
 Without contraindication
87
(96)
87
(96)
0
 With contraindication
4
(4)
4
(4)
 
RT modality
     
 3DCRT
6
(7)
3
(3)
0.152
 IMRT
85
(93)
88
(97)
 
Use of PET
     
 No
34
(37)
36
(40)
0.045
 Yes
57
(63)
55
(60)
 
RT break
     
  ≤ 1 week
69
(76)
70
(77)
0.026
  > 1 week
22
(24)
21
(23)
 
RT dose
     
 Low
23
(25)
22
(24)
0.025
 High
68
(75)
69
(76)
 
Induction chemotherapy
     
 Without
87
(96)
86
(95)
0.051
 With
4
(4)
5
(5)
 
3DCRT, three-dimensional radiotherapy; BMI, Body Mass Index; CCT, consolidative chemotherapy; IGRT, image-guided radiotherapy; IMRT, intensity-modulated radiotherapy; PET, positron emission tomography; RT, radiotherapy; SD, standard deviation
aRounded
bModified Carlson comorbidity score ≥ 1
In the SA-2, covariate balance was also achieved after PSW although some were imbalanced before PSW as shown in Table 3 (n = 246). Comparisons between groups revealed significantly better OS for those with CCT versus without CCT [PSW adjusted HR 0.68 (95% CI 0.49–0.92, P = 0.013). The crude response rate (77% vs. 68%) was higher for those with vs without CCT, but without statistical significance (PSW adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.61, 95% CI 0.62–2.60, P = 0.23).
Table 3
SA-2: patient characteristics of the subgroup with clinical response recorded
 
Patient characteristics before PSW
Patient characteristics (%) after PSWa
CCT (n = 79)
Without CCT (n = 167)
Standardized differenceb
CCT
Without CCT
Standardized differenceb
Number (%)b or mean (SD)b
Number (%)b or mean (SD)b
Age (years)
      
  ≤ 58
42 (53)
90 (54)
0.015
51
51
≈ 0
  > 58
37 (47)
77 (46)
 
49
49
 
Gender
      
 Female
4 (5)
7 (4)
0.042
5
5
≈ 0
 Male
75 (95)
160 (96)
 
95
95
 
Residency
      
 Non-north
60 (76)
119 (71)
0.107
74
74
≈ 0
 North
19 (24)
48 (29)
 
26
26
 
Comorbidity
      
 Without
69 (87)
146 (87)
0.003
88
88
≈ 0
 Withc
10 (13)
21 (13)
 
12
12
 
BMI (kg/m2)
      
  ≤ 18.5
15 (19)
36 (22)
0.064
19
19
≈ 0
  > 18.5
64 (81)
131 (78)
 
81
81
 
Drinking
      
 No
11 (14)
22 (13)
0.022
14
14
≈ 0
 Yes
68 (86)
145 (87)
 
86
86
 
Smoking
      
 No
8 (10)
20 (12)
0.059
11
11
≈ 0
 Yes
71 (90)
147 (88)
 
89
89
 
Grade
      
 Poorly
25 (32)
40 (24)
0.172
31
31
≈ 0
 Well/moderately differentiated
54 (68)
127 (76)
 
69
69
 
Tumor location
      
 Upper
43 (54)
65 (39)
 
50
50
 
 Middle
25 (32)
75 (45)
0.275
35
35
≈ 0
 Lower
11 (14)
27 (16)
0.063
15
15
≈ 0
Tumor size (cm)
      
  ≤ 5 cm
34 (43)
61 (37)
0.133
43
43
≈ 0
  > 5 cm
45 (57)
106 (63)
 
57
57
 
Clinical T-stage
      
 T1–T2
7 (9)
17 (10)
0.045
8
8
≈ 0
 T3–T4
72 (91)
150 (90)
 
92
92
 
Clinical N-stage
      
 N0
7 (9)
8 (5)
0.162
7
7
≈ 0
 N1–N2
72 (91)
159 (95)
 
93
93
 
Clinical stage
      
 II
9 (11)
14 (8)
0.101
10
10
≈ 0
 III
70 (89)
153 (92)
 
90
90
 
Reason for no surgery
      
 Without contraindication
75 (95)
154 (92)
0.111
94
94
≈ 0
 With contraindication
4 (5)
13 (8)
 
6
6
 
RT modality
      
 3DCRT
7 (9)
4 (2)
0.283
5
5
≈ 0
 IMRT
72 (91)
163 (98)
 
95
95
 
Use of PET
      
 No
34 (43)
42 (25)
0.384
35
35
≈ 0
 Yes
45 (57)
125 (75)
 
65
65
 
RT break
      
  ≤ 1 week
63 (80)
125 (75)
0.117
79
79
≈ 0
  > 1 week
16 (20)
42 (25)
 
21
21
 
RT dose
      
 Low
19 (24)
54 (32)
0.185
26
26
≈ 0
 High
60 (76)
113 (68)
 
74
74
 
Induction chemotherapy
      
 Without
74 (94)
162 (97)
0.159
95
95
≈ 0
 With
5 (6)
5 (3)
 
5
5
 
3DCRT, three-dimensional radiotherapy; BMI, Body Mass Index; CCT, consolidative chemotherapy; IGRT, image-guided radiotherapy; IMRT, intensity-modulated radiotherapy; PET, positron emission tomography; PSW, propensity score weighting; RT, radiotherapy; SD, standard deviation
aWeighted proportion for each group
bRounded
cModified Carlson comorbidity score ≥ 1

Discussion

In our population based cohort study, we found that CCT was associated with significantly improved OS for LA-ESCC patients treated with dCCRT. This was the 1st population based study to our knowledge.
In our mind, our results were compatible with the results in the above-mentioned systematic review in that the point estimate of HR for OS was in favor of CCT [11]. In another systematic review published in 2021 (not limited to SqCC but consisted of mainly SqCC patients) [37], favorable OS (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.59–0.86, P < 0.001) and response rate (OR 1.44; 95% CI 0.62–3.35, P = 0.393) were reported. Our results were relatively close to these results. When we looked at the relevant individual studies [1217] included in the above systematic review [11], the details were summarized below. Wu et al. compared 67 patients in the CCT group vs 142 patients in control group treated at a single institute and found CCT improved the overall survival with HR 0.67 [12]. In 524 PS matched patients treated from two institutes, Liu et al. reported OS HR 0.92 [13]. Chen et al. investigated 187 patients (89 with CCT whereas 98 without CCT) treated at two institutes and reported OS HR 0.971 in the univariate analyses [14]. Among 124 patients (65 with CCT and 59 without CCT) treated with dCCRT from a single institute, Chen et al. reported the median OS to be 19 months (without CCT) vs. 25 months (with CCT) [15]. From 73 patients treated with dCCRT at three institutes, Koh et al. reported CCT improved OS (3-year, 24.2% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.004) [16]. Among 222 patients (113 with CCT and 109 without CCT) treated with dCCRT from a single institute, Zhang et al. reported the median OS to be 18 months (without CCT) vs. 33 months (with CCT) (P = 0.003) [17]. Therefore, our results were compatible with most of these studies [12, 1517] in favor of CCT. Furthermore, our study utilized papulation-based cancer registry so were more representative than these studies relied on patients from one ~ three institutes.
The interpretation of our results seems strait forward because the outcomes were improved after treatment intensification. However, RCT were needed to confirm our finding because negative results of CCT had been reported in other disease sites such as lung cancer [38]. The generalizability of our finding to current practice was also not clear in the era of immunotherapy [39, 40].
There were several limitations in our study. First of all, there were always concerns regarding potential unmeasured confounder(s) in non-randomized studies although we had used propensity score to adjust for measured covariates and used E value to address the impact of the potential unmeasured confounders. For example, radiotherapy volume or chemotherapy regimens or cycles may be imbalance between groups but were not considered in our study due to data limitation. Therefore, we reported the E value (1.97) as suggested in the literature to evaluate the potential impact of possible unmeasured confounder(s) [35]. Secondly, other endpoints such as progression free survival or quality of life may also be important but were not investigated due to data limitation as well.

Conclusions

We found that CCT was associated with significantly improved OS for LA-ESCC patients treated with dCCRT. RCT was needed to confirm this finding.

Acknowledgements

The data analyzed in this study were provided by the Health and Welfare Data Science Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, Taiwan. We are grateful to Health Data Science Center, China Medical University Hospital for providing administrative, technical and funding support.

Declarations

All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. All experimental protocols were approved by Central Regional Research Ethics Committee China Medical University. All study participants in the Taiwan Cancer Registry were deidentified so that the Central Regional Research Ethics Committee China Medical University had waived our study from the need of participants’ informed consent [CRREC-108-080 (CR2)].
Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Open AccessThis article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://​creativecommons.​org/​licenses/​by/​4.​0/​. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://​creativecommons.​org/​publicdomain/​zero/​1.​0/​) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Literatur
1.
Zurück zum Zitat Lagergren J, Smyth E, Cunningham D, Lagergren P. Oesophageal cancer. Lancet. 2017;390(10110):2383–96.CrossRef Lagergren J, Smyth E, Cunningham D, Lagergren P. Oesophageal cancer. Lancet. 2017;390(10110):2383–96.CrossRef
2.
Zurück zum Zitat Chien CR, Lin CY, Chen CY. Re: incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus among white Americans by sex, stage, and age. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009;101(20):1428; author reply 1429. Chien CR, Lin CY, Chen CY. Re: incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus among white Americans by sex, stage, and age. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009;101(20):1428; author reply 1429.
3.
Zurück zum Zitat Lordick F, Mariette C, Haustermans K, Obermannová R, Arnold D; ESMO Guidelines Committee. Oesophageal cancer: ESMO clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2016;27(suppl 5):v50–7. Lordick F, Mariette C, Haustermans K, Obermannová R, Arnold D; ESMO Guidelines Committee. Oesophageal cancer: ESMO clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2016;27(suppl 5):v50–7.
4.
Zurück zum Zitat Kitagawa Y, Uno T, Oyama T, Kato K, Kato H, Kawakubo H, et al. Esophageal cancer practice guidelines 2017 edited by the Japan esophageal society: part 2. Esophagus. 2019;16(1):25–43.CrossRef Kitagawa Y, Uno T, Oyama T, Kato K, Kato H, Kawakubo H, et al. Esophageal cancer practice guidelines 2017 edited by the Japan esophageal society: part 2. Esophagus. 2019;16(1):25–43.CrossRef
5.
Zurück zum Zitat Shah MA, Kennedy EB, Catenacci DV, Deighton DC, Goodman KA, Malhotra NK, et al. Treatment of locally advanced esophageal carcinoma: ASCO guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2020;38(23):2677–94.CrossRef Shah MA, Kennedy EB, Catenacci DV, Deighton DC, Goodman KA, Malhotra NK, et al. Treatment of locally advanced esophageal carcinoma: ASCO guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2020;38(23):2677–94.CrossRef
7.
Zurück zum Zitat Hulshof MCCM, Geijsen ED, Rozema T, Oppedijk V, Buijsen J, Neelis KJ, et al. Randomized study on dose escalation in definitive chemoradiation for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (ARTDECO study). J Clin Oncol. 2021;39(25):2816–24.CrossRef Hulshof MCCM, Geijsen ED, Rozema T, Oppedijk V, Buijsen J, Neelis KJ, et al. Randomized study on dose escalation in definitive chemoradiation for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (ARTDECO study). J Clin Oncol. 2021;39(25):2816–24.CrossRef
8.
Zurück zum Zitat Minsky BD, Pajak TF, Ginsberg RJ, Pisansky TM, Martenson J, Komaki R, et al. INT 0123 (radiation therapy oncology group 94–05) phase III trial of combined-modality therapy for esophageal cancer: high-dose versus standard-dose radiation therapy. J Clin Oncol. 2002;20(5):1167–74.CrossRef Minsky BD, Pajak TF, Ginsberg RJ, Pisansky TM, Martenson J, Komaki R, et al. INT 0123 (radiation therapy oncology group 94–05) phase III trial of combined-modality therapy for esophageal cancer: high-dose versus standard-dose radiation therapy. J Clin Oncol. 2002;20(5):1167–74.CrossRef
9.
Zurück zum Zitat Bedenne L, Michel P, Bouché O, Milan C, Mariette C, Conroy T, et al. Chemoradiation followed by surgery compared with chemoradiation alone in squamous cancer of the esophagus: FFCD 9102. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(10):1160–8.CrossRef Bedenne L, Michel P, Bouché O, Milan C, Mariette C, Conroy T, et al. Chemoradiation followed by surgery compared with chemoradiation alone in squamous cancer of the esophagus: FFCD 9102. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(10):1160–8.CrossRef
10.
Zurück zum Zitat Stahl M, Stuschke M, Lehmann N, Meyer HJ, Walz MK, Seeber S, et al. Chemoradiation with and without surgery in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(10):2310–7.CrossRef Stahl M, Stuschke M, Lehmann N, Meyer HJ, Walz MK, Seeber S, et al. Chemoradiation with and without surgery in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(10):2310–7.CrossRef
11.
Zurück zum Zitat Wang J, Xiao L, Wang S, Pang Q, Wang J. Addition of induction or consolidation chemotherapy in definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone for patients with unresectable esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Oncol. 2021;11:665231.CrossRef Wang J, Xiao L, Wang S, Pang Q, Wang J. Addition of induction or consolidation chemotherapy in definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone for patients with unresectable esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Oncol. 2021;11:665231.CrossRef
12.
Zurück zum Zitat Wu SX, Li XY, Xu HY, Xu QN, Luo HS, Du ZS, et al. Effect of consolidation chemotherapy following definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):16870.CrossRef Wu SX, Li XY, Xu HY, Xu QN, Luo HS, Du ZS, et al. Effect of consolidation chemotherapy following definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):16870.CrossRef
13.
Zurück zum Zitat Chen Y, Guo L, Cheng X, Wang J, Zhang Y, Wang Y, et al. With or without consolidation chemotherapy using cisplatin/5-FU after concurrent chemoradiotherapy in stage II-III squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a propensity score-matched analysis. Radiother Oncol. 2018;129(1):154–60.CrossRef Chen Y, Guo L, Cheng X, Wang J, Zhang Y, Wang Y, et al. With or without consolidation chemotherapy using cisplatin/5-FU after concurrent chemoradiotherapy in stage II-III squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a propensity score-matched analysis. Radiother Oncol. 2018;129(1):154–60.CrossRef
14.
Zurück zum Zitat Chen M, Shen M, Lin Y, Liu P, Liu X, Li X, et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy does not benefit patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. Radiat Oncol. 2018;13(1):150.CrossRef Chen M, Shen M, Lin Y, Liu P, Liu X, Li X, et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy does not benefit patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. Radiat Oncol. 2018;13(1):150.CrossRef
15.
Zurück zum Zitat Chen H, Zhou L, Yang Y, Yang L, Chen L. Clinical effect of radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy for non-surgical treatment of the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Med Sci Monit. 2018;24:4183–91.CrossRef Chen H, Zhou L, Yang Y, Yang L, Chen L. Clinical effect of radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy for non-surgical treatment of the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Med Sci Monit. 2018;24:4183–91.CrossRef
16.
Zurück zum Zitat Koh HK, Park Y, Koo T, Park HJ, Lee MY, Chang AR, et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy and dose escalation in definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Anticancer Res. 2020;40(3):1771–8.CrossRef Koh HK, Park Y, Koo T, Park HJ, Lee MY, Chang AR, et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy and dose escalation in definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Anticancer Res. 2020;40(3):1771–8.CrossRef
17.
Zurück zum Zitat Zhang AD, Su XH, Shi GF, Han C, Wang L, Liu H, et al. Survival comparison of three-dimensional radiotherapy alone vs chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Arch Med Res. 2020;51(5):419–28.CrossRef Zhang AD, Su XH, Shi GF, Han C, Wang L, Liu H, et al. Survival comparison of three-dimensional radiotherapy alone vs chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Arch Med Res. 2020;51(5):419–28.CrossRef
18.
Zurück zum Zitat Chiang CJ, Wang YW, Lee WC. Taiwan’s nationwide cancer registry system of 40 years: past, present, and future. J Formos Med Assoc. 2019;118(5):856–8.CrossRef Chiang CJ, Wang YW, Lee WC. Taiwan’s nationwide cancer registry system of 40 years: past, present, and future. J Formos Med Assoc. 2019;118(5):856–8.CrossRef
19.
Zurück zum Zitat von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP, et al. The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. Lancet. 2007;370(9596):1453–7.CrossRef von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP, et al. The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. Lancet. 2007;370(9596):1453–7.CrossRef
20.
Zurück zum Zitat Ali MS, Groenwold RH, Belitser SV, Pestman WR, Hoes AW, Roes KC, et al. Reporting of covariate selection and balance assessment in propensity score analysis is suboptimal: a systematic review. J Clin Epidemiol. 2015;68(2):112–21.CrossRef Ali MS, Groenwold RH, Belitser SV, Pestman WR, Hoes AW, Roes KC, et al. Reporting of covariate selection and balance assessment in propensity score analysis is suboptimal: a systematic review. J Clin Epidemiol. 2015;68(2):112–21.CrossRef
21.
Zurück zum Zitat Liu S, Luo L, Zhao L, Zhu Y, Liu H, Li Q, et al. Induction chemotherapy followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy versus chemoradiotherapy alone in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a randomized phase II trial. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):4014.CrossRef Liu S, Luo L, Zhao L, Zhu Y, Liu H, Li Q, et al. Induction chemotherapy followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy versus chemoradiotherapy alone in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a randomized phase II trial. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):4014.CrossRef
22.
Zurück zum Zitat Li CC, Liang JA, Chen WTL, Chien CR. Effectiveness of image-guided radiotherapy for rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy: a population-based propensity score-matched analysis. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol. 2019;15(5):e197-203.CrossRef Li CC, Liang JA, Chen WTL, Chien CR. Effectiveness of image-guided radiotherapy for rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy: a population-based propensity score-matched analysis. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol. 2019;15(5):e197-203.CrossRef
23.
Zurück zum Zitat Li CC, Chen CY, Chou YH, Huang CJ, Ku HY, Chien CR. Chemotherapy alone versus definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cT4b esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a population-based study. BMC Gastroenterol. 2021;21(1):153.CrossRef Li CC, Chen CY, Chou YH, Huang CJ, Ku HY, Chien CR. Chemotherapy alone versus definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cT4b esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a population-based study. BMC Gastroenterol. 2021;21(1):153.CrossRef
24.
Zurück zum Zitat Kuo YH, Chien YW, Chen PR, Feng CL, Li CC, Chien CR. Impact of the interval between neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy and esophagectomy in the modern era: a population-based propensity-score-matched retrospective cohort study in Asia. World J Surg Oncol. 2019;17(1):222.CrossRef Kuo YH, Chien YW, Chen PR, Feng CL, Li CC, Chien CR. Impact of the interval between neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy and esophagectomy in the modern era: a population-based propensity-score-matched retrospective cohort study in Asia. World J Surg Oncol. 2019;17(1):222.CrossRef
25.
Zurück zum Zitat Sun JW, Rogers JR, Her Q, Welch EC, Panozzo CA, Toh S, et al. Adaptation and validation of the combined comorbidity Score for ICD-10-CM. Med Care. 2017;55(12):1046–51.CrossRef Sun JW, Rogers JR, Her Q, Welch EC, Panozzo CA, Toh S, et al. Adaptation and validation of the combined comorbidity Score for ICD-10-CM. Med Care. 2017;55(12):1046–51.CrossRef
26.
Zurück zum Zitat Thomas LE, Li F, Pencina MJ. Overlap weighting: a propensity score method that mimics attributes of a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2020;323(23):2417–8.CrossRef Thomas LE, Li F, Pencina MJ. Overlap weighting: a propensity score method that mimics attributes of a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2020;323(23):2417–8.CrossRef
27.
Zurück zum Zitat Mao H, Li L, Greene T. Propensity score weighting analysis and treatment effect discovery. Stat Methods Med Res. 2019;28(8):2439–54.CrossRef Mao H, Li L, Greene T. Propensity score weighting analysis and treatment effect discovery. Stat Methods Med Res. 2019;28(8):2439–54.CrossRef
28.
Zurück zum Zitat Lalani N, Jimenez RB, Yeap B. Understanding propensity score analyses. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020;107(3):404–7.CrossRef Lalani N, Jimenez RB, Yeap B. Understanding propensity score analyses. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020;107(3):404–7.CrossRef
29.
Zurück zum Zitat Rosenbaum PR. Part II. Observational studies-5. Between observational studies and experiments. In: Rosenbaum PR, editor. Observation and experiment: an introduction to causal inference. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 2017. p. 65–99. Rosenbaum PR. Part II. Observational studies-5. Between observational studies and experiments. In: Rosenbaum PR, editor. Observation and experiment: an introduction to causal inference. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 2017. p. 65–99.
30.
Zurück zum Zitat Webster-Clark M, Stürmer T, Wang T, Man K, Marinac-Dabic D, Rothman KJ, et al. Using propensity scores to estimate effects of treatment initiation decisions: State of the science. Stat Med. 2021;40(7):1718–35.CrossRef Webster-Clark M, Stürmer T, Wang T, Man K, Marinac-Dabic D, Rothman KJ, et al. Using propensity scores to estimate effects of treatment initiation decisions: State of the science. Stat Med. 2021;40(7):1718–35.CrossRef
31.
Zurück zum Zitat Garrido MM, Kelley AS, Paris J, Roza K, Meier DE, Morrison RS, et al. Methods for constructing and assessing propensity scores. Health Serv Res. 2014;49(5):1701–20.CrossRef Garrido MM, Kelley AS, Paris J, Roza K, Meier DE, Morrison RS, et al. Methods for constructing and assessing propensity scores. Health Serv Res. 2014;49(5):1701–20.CrossRef
32.
Zurück zum Zitat Austin PC. The use of propensity score methods with survival or time-to-event outcomes: reporting measures of effect similar to those used in randomized experiments. Stat Med. 2014;33(7):1242–58.CrossRef Austin PC. The use of propensity score methods with survival or time-to-event outcomes: reporting measures of effect similar to those used in randomized experiments. Stat Med. 2014;33(7):1242–58.CrossRef
33.
Zurück zum Zitat Cole SR, Hernán MA. Adjusted survival curves with inverse probability weights. Comput Methods Programs Biomed. 2004;75(1):45–9.CrossRef Cole SR, Hernán MA. Adjusted survival curves with inverse probability weights. Comput Methods Programs Biomed. 2004;75(1):45–9.CrossRef
34.
Zurück zum Zitat Austin PC. Variance estimation when using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) with survival analysis. Stat Med. 2016;35(30):5642–55.CrossRef Austin PC. Variance estimation when using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) with survival analysis. Stat Med. 2016;35(30):5642–55.CrossRef
35.
Zurück zum Zitat Haneuse S, VanderWeele TJ, Arterburn D. Using the E-value to assess the potential effect of unmeasured confounding in observational studies. JAMA. 2019;321(6):602–3.CrossRef Haneuse S, VanderWeele TJ, Arterburn D. Using the E-value to assess the potential effect of unmeasured confounding in observational studies. JAMA. 2019;321(6):602–3.CrossRef
36.
Zurück zum Zitat Bolch CA, Chu H, Jarosek S, Cole SR, Elliott S, Virnig B. Inverse probability of treatment-weighted competing risks analysis: an application on long-term risk of urinary adverse events after prostate cancer treatments. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2017;17(1):93.CrossRef Bolch CA, Chu H, Jarosek S, Cole SR, Elliott S, Virnig B. Inverse probability of treatment-weighted competing risks analysis: an application on long-term risk of urinary adverse events after prostate cancer treatments. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2017;17(1):93.CrossRef
37.
Zurück zum Zitat Xia X, Liu Z, Qin Q, Di X, Zhang Z, Sun X, et al. Long-term survival in nonsurgical esophageal cancer patients who received consolidation chemotherapy compared with patients who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Oncol. 2021;10:604657.CrossRef Xia X, Liu Z, Qin Q, Di X, Zhang Z, Sun X, et al. Long-term survival in nonsurgical esophageal cancer patients who received consolidation chemotherapy compared with patients who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Oncol. 2021;10:604657.CrossRef
38.
Zurück zum Zitat Senan S, Brade A, Wang LH, Vansteenkiste J, Dakhil S, Biesma B, et al. PROCLAIM: randomized phase iii trial of pemetrexed-cisplatin or etoposide-cisplatin plus thoracic radiation therapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy in locally advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(9):953–62.CrossRef Senan S, Brade A, Wang LH, Vansteenkiste J, Dakhil S, Biesma B, et al. PROCLAIM: randomized phase iii trial of pemetrexed-cisplatin or etoposide-cisplatin plus thoracic radiation therapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy in locally advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(9):953–62.CrossRef
39.
Zurück zum Zitat Faivre-Finn C, Vicente D, Kurata T, Planchard D, Paz-Ares L, Vansteenkiste JF, et al. Four-year survival with durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy in stage III NSCLC-an update from the PACIFIC trial. J Thorac Oncol. 2021;16(5):860–7.CrossRef Faivre-Finn C, Vicente D, Kurata T, Planchard D, Paz-Ares L, Vansteenkiste JF, et al. Four-year survival with durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy in stage III NSCLC-an update from the PACIFIC trial. J Thorac Oncol. 2021;16(5):860–7.CrossRef
40.
Zurück zum Zitat Kelly RJ, Ajani JA, Kuzdzal J, Zander T, Van Cutsem E, Piessen G, et al. Adjuvant nivolumab in resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(13):1191–203.CrossRef Kelly RJ, Ajani JA, Kuzdzal J, Zander T, Van Cutsem E, Piessen G, et al. Adjuvant nivolumab in resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(13):1191–203.CrossRef
Metadaten
Titel
Consolidative chemotherapy after definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients: a population based cohort study
verfasst von
Chen-Yuan Lin
Ming-Yu Lien
Chi-Ching Chen
Hsin-Yuan Fang
Yu-Sen Lin
Chien-Kuang Chen
Jian-Xun Chen
Ting-Yu Lu
Tzu-Min Huang
Te-Chun Hsieh
Shung-Shung Sun
Chia-Chin Li
Chun-Ru Chien
Publikationsdatum
01.12.2022
Verlag
BioMed Central
Erschienen in
BMC Gastroenterology / Ausgabe 1/2022
Elektronische ISSN: 1471-230X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-022-02464-x

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 1/2022

BMC Gastroenterology 1/2022 Zur Ausgabe

Leitlinien kompakt für die Innere Medizin

Mit medbee Pocketcards sicher entscheiden.

Seit 2022 gehört die medbee GmbH zum Springer Medizin Verlag

„Jeder Fall von plötzlichem Tod muss obduziert werden!“

17.05.2024 Plötzlicher Herztod Nachrichten

Ein signifikanter Anteil der Fälle von plötzlichem Herztod ist genetisch bedingt. Um ihre Verwandten vor diesem Schicksal zu bewahren, sollten jüngere Personen, die plötzlich unerwartet versterben, ausnahmslos einer Autopsie unterzogen werden.

Hirnblutung unter DOAK und VKA ähnlich bedrohlich

17.05.2024 Direkte orale Antikoagulanzien Nachrichten

Kommt es zu einer nichttraumatischen Hirnblutung, spielt es keine große Rolle, ob die Betroffenen zuvor direkt wirksame orale Antikoagulanzien oder Marcumar bekommen haben: Die Prognose ist ähnlich schlecht.

Schlechtere Vorhofflimmern-Prognose bei kleinem linken Ventrikel

17.05.2024 Vorhofflimmern Nachrichten

Nicht nur ein vergrößerter, sondern auch ein kleiner linker Ventrikel ist bei Vorhofflimmern mit einer erhöhten Komplikationsrate assoziiert. Der Zusammenhang besteht nach Daten aus China unabhängig von anderen Risikofaktoren.

Semaglutid bei Herzinsuffizienz: Wie erklärt sich die Wirksamkeit?

17.05.2024 Herzinsuffizienz Nachrichten

Bei adipösen Patienten mit Herzinsuffizienz des HFpEF-Phänotyps ist Semaglutid von symptomatischem Nutzen. Resultiert dieser Benefit allein aus der Gewichtsreduktion oder auch aus spezifischen Effekten auf die Herzinsuffizienz-Pathogenese? Eine neue Analyse gibt Aufschluss.

Update Innere Medizin

Bestellen Sie unseren Fach-Newsletter und bleiben Sie gut informiert.