PhD defence X. (Xing) Gao

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

Esophageal cancer (EC) remains a deadly disease with a poor prognosis. Almost 80% of all patients with EC live in Asia. Here, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the predominant subtype, accounting for 90% of all ESCC cases worldwide. 1,2 Despite the differences in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of EC worldwide, treatment approaches are generally similar. The current standard of care for locally advanced EC is a multidisciplinary approach involving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) or chemotherapy followed by esophagectomy.

This thesis aims to optimize multimodality treatments for locally advanced ESCC, specifically in East-Asia, recognizing that ESCC may differ in biology and response to treatment in different parts of the world. Part I of the thesis introduces the subtype ESCC and its characteristics from different geographical perspectives followed by an exposition of the differences between ESCC in eastern and western worlds. Part II optimizes trimodal therapy of ESCC in Taiwan, as a representative region of East-Asia. Finally, in Part III, the accuracy of liquid biopsies in identifying patients who may not need surgery after trimodal therapy is assessed.