To assess the efficacy and feasibility of high-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy with concurrent weekly paclitaxel and cisplatin for patients with locaregionally esophageal cancer

Standard dose chemoradiotherapy (SCRT) results in poor local control for localregionally advanced esopgageal cancer patients. Most local failures occur in the gross tumor volume.[F-18]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT can identify residual metabolic disease (RMD). Hyperfractionated radiotherapy allows for delivering a higher dose without increasing late toxicity. Our previous phase I radiation dose escalation trial demonstrated that 86 Gy could be safely delivered to the RMD with concurrent weekly paclitaxel and cisplatin in advanced esophageal cancer.The aim of this phase II study is to examine the efficacy of this regimen.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must have FDG-avid and histologically or cytologically proven esophageal cancer.
• Patients must be deemed unresectable disease or patient is not deemed operable due to medical reasons.
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group （ECOG） performance status 0 to 2 No prior radiation to the thorax that would overlap with the current treatment field.
• Patients with nodal involvement are eligible
• Adequate bone marrow, renal and hepatic functions as assessed by the following: Hemoglobin >/= 10.0 g/dl, Platelet count >/= 1 00,000/ mm^3,absolute granulocyte count (AGC) ≥2 × 10^9 cells/L,bilirubin and Aspartate transaminase ≤1.5 ×upper limit of normal (ULN), Creatinine \