Concurrent chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil and cisplatin) and radiation therapy for inoperable squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus potentially followed by surgery.

Twenty-four previously untreated patients with primary inoperable squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus showing no evidence of hematogenous metastasis were treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT) followed by surgical resection if possible. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of 5-fluorouracil 750 mg/m2 on days 1-4 and 21-24, and cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on days 1 and 21. Radiation therapy was administered over days 1-26 (200 cGy/day five times per week with an initial planned dose of 40 Gy). Five patients (8%) showed complete response (CR), 14 patients (58%) had partial response (PR), and 19 had good local control (CR 2, PR 17). Eleven cases (48%) underwent esophageal resection with no operative mortality. Curative resection was accomplished in eight cases (35%). Toxicities observed in CRT were leukopenia (grades 3 and 4) 38%, nausea and vomiting (grades 2 and 3) 67%, esophagitis 42%, and fever 42%. The median survival time (MST) for 11 neoadjuvant cases was 349 days (P < 0.05) compared to 212 days for palliative treatment (six cases) and 126 days for no treatment (six cases) after CRT. The MST of eight patients who received curative resection had not been reached after a 17-month median follow-up time. Concurrent chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin and radiation proved to be a safe regimen yielding a satisfactory response and minimal toxicity in this particular group of patients. Extensive surgery was thus determined to be feasible after CRT and to contribute to prolonging survival.