A pilot study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin with surgical resection and postoperative radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy in adenocarcinoma of the esophagus

Abstract

Fifteen patients with potentially resectable adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were treated with two cycles of preoperative chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (DDP). Response to chemotherapy was evaluated by comparative barium swallow, computerized chest tomography, esophagoscopy, and change in clinical symptomatology. Eleven patients (73%) were resected, two (13%) were explored and found inoperable, and two (13%) were not subjected to surgery (one because of death related to toxicity and one due to progressive disease). Ten of eleven patients (91%) had gross residual tumor. One patient (9%) had residual microscopic disease only. One patient (7%) had complete clinical responses (CCR), five (33%) had partial clinical response (PCR), and nine (60%) had no response (NR). Five of 15 patients (or 45% of resected patients) remain free of disease. Median survival time was 18.47 months for all patients and 23.83 months for resected patients.