MRI-Guided boost: could a higher radiation dose beat esophageal cancer?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria In order to be eligible for this study, a subject must meet all of the following criteria: * Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or GE- junction (Siewert I/II) * Potentially resectable, locally advanced esophageal tumor (cT1bN+, cT2-3, N0-3, M0) based on standard primary staging by EUS and 18F-FDG PET-CT * Scheduled to receive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy according to CROSS-regimen: weekly administration of carboplatin and paclitaxel for 5 weeks and concurrent radiotherapy (41.4Gy in 23 fractions, 5 days per week), followed by esophagectomy (as judged by the multidisciplinary tumor board) * Tumor length ≤ 10 cm * Age ≥ 18 years * WHO performance status 0-2 * Signed informed consent * Tumor volume that can be defined on MRI at baseline (T2w and DW-MRI) * Absence of any psychological, familial, sociological or geographical condition potentially hampering compliance with the study protocol and follow-up schedule before patient registration/randomization, written informed consent must be given according to ICH/GCP, and national/local regulations. Exclusion criteria A subject who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study: * Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus * Non-resectable, inoperable or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or GE-junction * Siewert type III * Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervical esophagus * Prior (chemo)radiotherapy to the mediastinum * Prior esophageal surgery that impedes the ability to perform an esophagectomy * Patients with multiple primary carcinomas of the esophagus * Patients who meet exclusion criteria for MRI * Irradical endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) or endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of primary tumor prior to start of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy * Pregnant or breast-feeding patients * Patients in whom it is not in their best interest to participate (in the judgment of the PI)