Significant role of cisplatin and 5-FU combination chemotherapy for first-line intensive treatment for advanced esophageal cancer

• Published in: Gan to kagaku ryoho Vol. 28; no. 11; p. 1608
• Main Authors: Matsui, S, Iwazawa, T, Yano, H, Tono, T, Nakano, Y, Kanoh, T, Kinuta, M, Monden, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan 01-10-2001
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - surgery; Cisplatin - administration & dosage; Combined Modality Therapy; Esophageal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Esophageal Neoplasms - surgery; Fluorouracil - administration & dosage; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Remission Induction
• ISSN: 0385-0684

We evaluated the efficacy of first-line chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil combination therapy (in the following, FP) in intensive treatment for esophageal cancer. This first-line chemotherapy was administered to 18 patients with squamous cell carcinoma. Three patients had T2 tumor, 10 had T3 and 5 had T4. Lymph node metastasis was detected in 10 patients and not detected in 8 patients. Five patients had distant metastasis. Ten patients showed a partial response and the response rate was 55.6%. Of these 10 patients, 5 were followed with surgery, 3 of whom survived without recurrence of the disease. Five patients were treated by FP, radiation therapy or combination of FP and radiation. Of these 5 patients, 2 showed a complete response. On the other hand, 8 nonresponders died from progressive disease, despite following intensive treatment. These results suggest that first-line chemotherapy by FP, which requires following intensive treatment, improves the overall long-term survival of advanced esophageal cancer patient.