title: [Phase II study of radiotherapy plus erlotinib for elder patients with esophageal carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety and efficacy of radiation plus erlotinib in patients with esophageal cancer older than 70 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radiotherapy was prescribed at a daily fraction of 2.0 Gy up to a total dose of 60 Gy over 6 weeks. Concurrent erlotinib was administrated at a dose of 150 mg daily at days 1-42. Acute toxicities were assessed by the criteria of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and National Cancer Institute (NCI). The results were analyzed by the software SPSS 17.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 33 patients were enrolled. The median survival time was 16.3 ± 8.6 months (95%CI 0.0 - 33.3) and the 1-and 2-year overall survival rates were 66.3% and 49.7% respectively. The media progression-free survival was 16.7 ± 7.1 months (95%CI 2.9 - 30.5) and the 1- and 2-year local control rates 73.3% and 54.9% respectively. Most toxicities were of grade 1-2 and manageable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined regimen of radiation and erlotinib is effective and safe in elder patients aged > 70 years with esophageal cancer. However the results of our study should be confirmed in randomized controlled trials of a larger sample size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors.forename: Xue-bang
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cong-ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Wen-feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shi-xiu
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D011799:Quinazolines; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride