Weekly docetaxel with concomitant radiotherapy in patients with inoperable oesophageal cancer.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of weekly docetaxel concurrent with radiotherapy in inoperable oesophageal cancer patients.


METHODS
Thirty-four oesophageal cancer patients with co-morbid medical conditions, locally advanced tumours (T4) or advanced age (older than 75 years) received docetaxel (20 mg/m2 weekly) plus concurrent radiotherapy (2 Gy daily, to a total dose of 66 Gy). Twenty-two patients (64%) were stage III, 19 of whom had T4 tumours.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven patients (79%) completed the planned chemoradiotherapy treatment. Nine patients (26%) achieved a complete response and 8 (24%) achieved a partial response, for an overall response rate of 50%. Median survival was 6 months, and 1-year survival was 35%. Patients with T4 tumours had significantly shorter survival than other patients: 5 months for T4 tumours vs. 11 months for T1-3 (p=0.04). Grade 3-4 oesophagitis occurred in 6 patients (17%). There were two treatment-related deaths due to radiation pneumonitis.


CONCLUSIONS
Docetaxel plus concurrent radiotherapy is active in poor-prognosis oesophageal cancer patients, with a lower incidence of severe oesophagitis than with cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy regimens. This schedule can be considered, especially in patients with non-T4 tumours who are not candidates for oesophageal resection.
Font
A
A
Medical Oncology Service, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain. afont@ico.scs.es
Arellano
A
A
Fernández-Llamazares
J
J
Casas
D
D
Boix
J
J
Cardenal
J
J
Margelí
M
M
Manzano
J L
JL
Abad
A
A
Rosell
R
R
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D017564:Radiation Pneumonitis / Q000209:etiology; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel