Almost half of people with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Chemotherapy and targeted therapies are increasingly used with a palliative intent to control tumor growth, improve quality of life, and prolong survival. To date, and with the exception of ramucirumab, evidence for the efficacy of palliative treatments for esophageal and gastroesophageal cancer is lacking.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004063.pub4/full
Palliative chemotherapy and targeted therapies for esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer