CISPLATIN, VINDESINE, PEPLEOMYCIN AND COMBINED RADIATION-THERAPY FOR INOPERABLE ESOPHAGEAL-CARCINOMA

Sixteen inoperable esophageal cancer patients, including six over 80 y ears of age, were given combined chemoradiation therapy. The treatment consisted of radiation therapy (50-60 Gy for 6-7 wk on days 1 to 46) combined with cisplatin (50 mg/m2 i.v. on days 22 and 50), vindesine ( 3 Mg/M2 i.v. on days 22 and 50) and pepleomycin (5 mg i.m. on days 23 to 27 and 51 to 55). The treatment was well-tolerated. The overall res ponse rate was 56%, with three complete responses and six partial resp onses. For 10 patients with loco-regional disease (stage II-III), the response rate was 70%. The overall median survival was 7 mo and the su rvival rate was 31% at one year and 23% at two years. For loco-regiona l disease, the one and two-year survival rates were 40 and 27%, respec tively, with a median survival of 8 mo. The protocol is worthy of bein g considered for treating inoperable, poor-risk esophageal cancer pati ents.