Prospective and controlled studies on multidisciplinary treatment in gastrointenstinal cancer

The Gastrointestinal Tract Cooperative Group of the EORTC has been conducting prospective and controlled studies in multidisciplinary treatment since 1973. There are now 39 institutions in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Israel, and Belgium contributing to the various clinical trials. They have already registered 1,350 patients, of whom 950 are evaluable for the studies. Seven clinical trials are still in progress or already closed. The purpose of this paper is to review these studies briefly. The studies are: Controlled clinical study for treatment of patients with resectable oesophageal carcinoma, and unresectable carcinoma, with gastric cancer using surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, with rectal cancer using surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and with rectal cancer using surgery and adjuvant preoperative radiotherapy. (orig./BWU)