This one comes in from PG via email in regards to the newly published Stahl trial examing RT vs CTRT prior to resection in GEJ cancers:
The stats are a bit shy of the goals, but this appears to be clinically significant nonetheless. Results are consistent with the relative benefits of each treatment strategy according to the meta-analyses on this topic, but now there is a RCT.
One could argue that they did not use 'optimal' chemo (ECF), and instead used a different chemo regimen (cisplatin, fluorouracil, leucovorin), but the MAGIC trial compared chemo-surgery vs. surgery alone, so there is no direct comparison between these chemo regimens. So, based on this RCT and meta-analyses, preop chemoRT appears to be superior in selected patients for these tumors. No adjuvant chemo for either arm.
