skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Phase II study of preoperative paclitaxel/cisplatin with radiotherapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer

Journal Article · · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1]
  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (United States)
  2. Department of Oncology, Oregon Health Sciences University Cancer Institute, Portland, OR (United States)
  3. Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (United States)
  4. Division of Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (United States)
  5. Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (United States)

Purpose: Preoperative paclitaxel-based chemoradiotherapy may improve the response rates and survival in patients with localized esophageal cancer. We evaluated paclitaxel-based induction chemoradiotherapy in patients with localized esophageal cancer to determine its feasibility, clinical response, pathologic response, and overall survival. Methods and Materials: Between 1995 and 1998, 50 patients were enrolled in this study. At study entry, patients were categorized as either resectable or unresectable according to evaluation by an experienced thoracic surgeon. All patients were treated with paclitaxel 175 mg/m{sup 2} and cisplatin 75 mg/m{sup 2} on Day 1, 29 with radiotherapy to 3,000 cGy in 15 fractions. Resectable patients underwent esophagectomy 4 weeks later. Postoperatively, patients received two cycles of paclitaxel 175 mg/m{sup 2} on Day 1 and 5-fluorouracil 350 mg/m{sup 2} and leucovorin 300 mg on Days 1-3, given every 28 days. Patients who were deemed unsuitable for resection from the outset continued radiotherapy to a total dose of 6,000 cGy. Results: Of the 50 patients, all began neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, 40 patients underwent surgery, and 25 patients completed postoperative chemotherapy. A pathologic complete response was seen in 7 patients (17.5%). Patients with a pathologic response had a median survival of 32.4 months vs. 14.4 months for nonresponders (p <0.001). Patients with a clinical response had a median survival of 25.2 months compared with 15.6 months for nonresponders (p = 0.002). At a median follow up of 19.8 months (range 2.4-100.8), the median survival was 20.4 months and the 3-year overall survival rate was 23.2%. Conclusion: Although preoperative cisplatin/paclitaxel with 3,000 cGy was tolerable, this multimodality regimen did not appear to be superior to standard cisplatin/5-fluorouracil-containing regimens and its use is not recommended.

OSTI ID:
20944679
Journal Information:
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 67, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2006.08.062; PII: S0360-3016(06)02837-9; Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0360-3016
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English