Would you use triplet chemotherapy FLOT in lieu of chemoRT for patients with localized esophageal squamous cell carcinoma?

This is a timely question in esophageal SCC (ESCC), even as we adjust to the now markedly diminished role of pre-operative chemoradiation vs. FLOT in esophageal/GEJ adenocarcinoma, based on the recent phase III ESOPEC study [Hoeppner et al., ASCO 2024; LBA1] (as well as the NeoAEGIS study that preceded it [Reynolds et al., PMID 37734399]).

To summarize, the JCOG1109 NExT trial randomized 601 Japanese patients with locally advanced esophageal SCC and an ECOG PS 0-1 to 1 of 3 pre-operative regimens: 5-FU/cisplatin, 5-FU/cisplatin and RT or 5-FU/cisplatin and docetaxel (with doses very similar to the original DCF regimen used in the phase III V325 study in advanced gastric cancer [Van Cutsem et al., PMID 17075117). The DCF arm was associated wi...