[A case of a 14-month survival patient on advanced esophageal cancer with uncontrolled brain metastasis completely responding to nedaplatin, adriamycin, plus 5-FU (NAF) therapy].

This case was a male patient, about 50 years old. He received a curative operation for advanced esophageal carcinoma [poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma type, Lt, pT3 (pAd) pN3, pstage III] in March 2005. He also received adjuvant chemotherapy of 5-FU plus cisplatin (CDDP). Fourteen months later (May 2006) from surgery, metastases to the left lung and left subclavian lymph nodes were diagnosed, so he received first-line triplet combination chemotherapy (NAF regimen; nedaplatin 60 mg/m2: day 1, adriamycin 50 mg/m2: day 1, 5-FU 700 mg/m2: day 1-5). According to the 9 courses of treatment of this regimen, complete response for these metastases was observed and first-line chemotherapy was finished. However, a severe headache appeared 3 months later, and he had a diagnosis of solitary 5 cm brain metastasis by MRI. Excision of the metastasis was performed with sequential whole-brain radiation therapy (30 Gy). Five months later, diffuse and multiple brain metastases relapsed, and second-line chemotherapy did not respond well, and finally he was died 3 months after palliative care. But, completely controlled metastases (lung and lymph node) by first-line chemotherapy did not relapse again in all his clinical period. If an anticancer therapy goes in complete response in an advanced esophageal carcinoma patient, we should consider about a rare brain metastasis in order to find out as small and solitary state.