Paclitaxel/Cisplatin/Fluorouracil Followed by Paclitaxel/Cisplatin/Radiotherapy and Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer

A Phase II Study With One-cycle Weekly TP-HDFL Followed by Twice Weekly TP-CCRT and Esophagectomy for Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer

We hypothesize that one-cycle induction chemotherapy may also help to identify chemo-responsive esophageal cancer patients who are highly treatable by definitive CCRT.

We hypothesize that one-cycle induction chemotherapy may also help to identify chemo-responsive esophageal cancer patients who are highly treatable by definitive CCRT.in order to test this hypothesis, we thus propose this phase II clinical study to verify the role of "response to one-cycle induction chemotherapy"in the prediction of pathologic complete response rate to CCRT and tje outcomes for patients with loco-regional esophageal cancer.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pathologically proven esophageal cancer
• Locally advanced diseases T3 N0-1 M0; T1-3 N1 M0; T1-3 or N0-1 M1a
• Age ≥ 18 years old
• ECOG ≤ 2
• Creatinine < 1.5 mg/dl AST, ALT < 2.5 x upper normal limits Bilirubin < 2.0 mg/dl
• WBC > 4,000/μl or ANC>2,000/μl
• Platelet > 100,000//μl
• Informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Invasion to surrounding organs (T4 disease)
• Distant mets (except M1a)
• Prior thoracic irradiation
• Presence of other squamous cell carcinoma of aerodigestive way
• Symptomatic co-morbid diseases
• Previous malignancy