companion study to CALGB-9781 which closed administratively due to poor accrual

RATIONALE: Questionnaires that measure quality of life during treatment may improve the ability to plan treatment for patients with esophageal cancer.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the quality of life in patients receiving treatment for esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the quality of life of patients with esophageal cancer randomized on protocol CALGB C9781 to treatment with surgery alone vs trimodal therapy combining preoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy in addition to surgery. II. Examine the incremental cost and cost effectiveness of preoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the treatment of esophageal cancer. III. Examine the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of preoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the treatment of esophageal cancer.

OUTLINE: This is a companion study to CALGB C9781, a phase III randomized study. Prior to treatment on CALGB C9781, patients complete forms assessing quality of life, psychological functioning, specific areas of dysfunction, resource use, and time lost from work; subsequent assessments are completed by telephone interview at 1, 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the initiation of study treatment, regardless of disease status (patients with hearing impairment and those speaking only a translatable foreign language may mail responses). Patients also keep a diary of medical resource utilization at sites other than the treating institution.

1. Patients with histologically documented untreated squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the thoracic esophagus (below 20 cm) or gastroesophageal junction and with less than 2cmdistal spread into the gastric cardia eligible for C9781.
2. There could be no evidence of distant metastatic disease by history and physical examination; upper endoscopy with biopsy, computed tomography (CT) of the chest and upper abdomen, and pulmonary function studies were all required.
3. Tumors had to be considered surgically resectable (T1-3, NX), including regional thoracic lymph node (N1) metastases.
4. Patients with supraclavicular lymph nodes measuring ≤1.5 cm by CT (not palpable) were eligible, as were patients with lymph node metastases to levels 15 to 20 (predominantly celiac axis and paracardial nodes) ≤ 1.5 cm by CT.
5. Patients could not have previously received chemotherapy or radiation therapy for this tumor or any radiation therapy that would overlap the radiation fields required for this malignancy. Patients with previous malignancies were eligible if more than 5 years had elapsed from diagnosis without evidence of tumor recurrence.
6. There could be no other serious illness that would limit survival to less than 2 years, or psychiatric condition that would prevent compliance with treatment or informed consent.
7. Patients with uncontrolled or severe cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, or active infections were excluded, as were pregnant patients.

Patients with esophageal cancer eligible to participate in C9781.