The intergroup/RTOG 85-01 concurrent chemoradiation regimen for Japanese esophageal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate outcome of the U.S. RTOG/Intergroup Protocol 85-01 for 44 Japanese esophageal cancer patients.


METHODS
Between 1996 and 2004, patients with esophageal cancer received the Intergroup concurrent chemoradiation therapy regimen for the primary treatment (n=44, group A). We compared the data with those of patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) combined with the weekly chemotherapy regimen (n=12, group B) and with those of patients receiving RT combined with the daily low-dose chemotherapy regimen (n=24, group C).


RESULTS
The median survival period was 14.9 months in group A, 5.7 months in group B, and 6.3 months in group C. The survival rates at 1 and 3 years were 56% and 26% in group A, 42% and 21% in group B (p=0.3307), and 27% and 18% in group C (p=0.0462), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The prognosis of patients who received the Intergroup regimen for esophageal cancer was significantly better than that of patients who received the daily low-dose chemotherapy regimen. The Intergroup regimen is well tolerable for the Japanese patients too.
Yamashita
Hideomi
H
Department of Radiology, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. yamashitah-RAD@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Nakagawa
Keiichi
K
Tago
Masao
M
Nakamura
Naoki
N
Shiraishi
Kenshiro
K
Mafune
Ken-Ichi
K
Kaminishi
Michio
M
Ohtomo
Kuni
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D024221:Antineoplastic Protocols; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States