Outcomes Assessed
local-regional failure, death, Regional failure
CELIAC, DISEASE PROGRESSION, RECURRENCE, DISEASE, PRIMARY TUMOR
Outcomes assessed included local-regional failure (LRF), distant failure (DF), DFS, and overall survival (OS). Local failure was defined as disease recurrence or progression in the primary tumor. Patients who never had a local clearance were considered to have failure at day 1. Regional failure was defined as a recurrence or progression in regional lymph nodes. In the RTOG 8501 trial, nodal failure was considered to be disease present in the cervical, supraclavicular, scalene, celiac, abdominal (gastric), and other (esophageal, mediastinal, and intrathoracic) lymph nodes. In the RTOG 9405 trial, nodal failure was considered to be disease present in the cervical, supraclavicular, scalene, hilar, mediastinal, and abdominal (epigastric) lymph nodes. In the RTOG 0436 trial, nodal failure was considered to be nodal disease progression within the radiated field or recurrence after complete response in the radiated field. Local-regional failure was defined as local failure and/or regional failure. Distant failure was defined as disease progression in the liver, peritoneum, lung, distant lymph nodes, or other sites. Disease-free survival was defined as freedom from death, LRF, and DF. Overall survival was defined as freedom from death due to any cause. For LRF and DF, death without failure was a competing risk. All outcomes were measured from the date of randomization to the date of death or failure.