[Pathological complete response in a case of advanced esophageal cancer invading aorta treated by preoperative chemotherapy with docetaxel and cisplatin plus 5-FU].

The patient was a 64-year-old man, diagnosed as cStage IVa esophageal cancer invading the aorta with lymph node metastasis. He received combination chemotherapy with docetaxel/cisplatin/5-FU(DFP therapy). After one course, CT and endoscopic examination showed remarkable reduction of the primary lesion and lymph node metastasis. We performed subtotal esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction by the retroposterior mediastinum route. The pathological specimen evidenced fibrosis and infiltration of inflammatory cells on almost all layers, but showed no viable malignant cells in the middle thoracic esophagus. Therefore, the pathological effect was judged as Grade 3(pCR). This case suggested that DFP combination chemotherapy may prove to be a useful treatment for advanced esophageal cancer with invasion to other organs.