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 response (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. Copyright © 1991 American Cancer Society