title: A case of synchronous esophagus and stomach cancer successfully treated by combined chemotherapy.
abstract: Although cases of simultaneous esophagus and stomach cancer have been reported sporadically, there are rare reports of successful treatment using chemotherapy. We report a case of synchronous esophageal and gastric cancer successfully treated using docetaxel and cis-diammineedichloro-platinum (CDDP) combination chemotherapy instead of surgery. A 82-years-old man with anorexia and progressive weight loss was diagnosed with synchronous esophageal and gastric cancer by endoscopy. Both cancers were diagnosed as resectable by the preoperative clinical staging. However, surgery was contraindicated because of severe lung dysfunction. Moreover, he actively refused radiotherapy and endoscopic management. Therefore, the patient was given combined chemotherapy with docetaxel (65 mg/m²) and CDDP (60 mg/m²). The esophageal and gastric lesion completely disappeared on endoscopy, and there were no residual tumor cells on endoscopic biopsy after three cycles of chemotherapy. Metastatic lymph nodes also completely disappeared on the CT scan. The patient received a total of ten cycles of chemotherapy, without severe adverse effects. The patient remained asymptomatic for 18 months after discontinuation of the chemotherapy, without evidence of local recurrence or distant metastasis. Surgery or endoscopic treatment of both esophageal and gastric cancers is desirable, but, if medically inoperable, chemotherapy can be alternative treatment option.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Seok Reyol
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jin Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Myung Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Dae Cheol
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Su Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Chien Ter
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Hsing
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D002945:Cisplatin