title: Clinical trial of thalidomide combined with radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the short-term efficacy and tolerability of radiotherapy plus thalidomide in patients with esophageal cancer (EC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from 86 EC patients were collected before, during, and after radiotherapy, and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level was examined by ELISA. According to the change in serum VEGF level during radiotherapy, the patients were divided into two groups: in the drug group, VEGF level was increased or remained unchanged, and thalidomide was administered up to the end of radiotherapy; in the non-drug group, VEGF level was decreased and radiotherapy was given alone. Thirty healthy volunteers served as controls. The efficacy and safety of radiotherapy plus thalidomide therapy were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 86 EC patients had a significantly higher level of VEGF compared with the 30 healthy controls before radiotherapy (P < 0.01), and the VEGF level was significantly correlated with primary tumor size, lymph node metastasis, histopathologic type, and clinical stage (P < 0.01). Of 83 evaluable cases, VEGF level was significantly decreased after radiotherapy in 32 patients in the drug group (P < 0.05), with an effective rate of 71.88%. The incidence of dizziness and/or burnout in the drug group and non-drug group was 62.50% and 15.69%, respectively (P = 0.000), and the incidence of somnolence was 12.50% and 0%, respectively (P = 0.019). No significant differences were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thalidomide can down-regulate serum VEGF level in EC patients, and combined with radiotherapy may improve treatment outcome. Thalidomide was well tolerated by EC patients.
authors.affiliation: Jing-Ping Yu, Su-Ping Sun, Zhi-Qiang Sun, Xin-Chu Ni, Jian Wang, Yi Li, Li-Jun Hu, Dong-Qing Li, Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Jing-Ping Yu, Su-Ping Sun, Zhi-Qiang Sun, Xin-Chu Ni, Jian Wang, Yi Li, Li-Jun Hu, Dong-Qing Li, Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Su-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Jing-Ping Yu, Su-Ping Sun, Zhi-Qiang Sun, Xin-Chu Ni, Jian Wang, Yi Li, Li-Jun Hu, Dong-Qing Li, Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Jing-Ping Yu, Su-Ping Sun, Zhi-Qiang Sun, Xin-Chu Ni, Jian Wang, Yi Li, Li-Jun Hu, Dong-Qing Li, Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Chu
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Jing-Ping Yu, Su-Ping Sun, Zhi-Qiang Sun, Xin-Chu Ni, Jian Wang, Yi Li, Li-Jun Hu, Dong-Qing Li, Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Jing-Ping Yu, Su-Ping Sun, Zhi-Qiang Sun, Xin-Chu Ni, Jian Wang, Yi Li, Li-Jun Hu, Dong-Qing Li, Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Jing-Ping Yu, Su-Ping Sun, Zhi-Qiang Sun, Xin-Chu Ni, Jian Wang, Yi Li, Li-Jun Hu, Dong-Qing Li, Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Jing-Ping Yu, Su-Ping Sun, Zhi-Qiang Sun, Xin-Chu Ni, Jian Wang, Yi Li, Li-Jun Hu, Dong-Qing Li, Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Qing
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002681:China; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D015415:Biomarkers; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D013792:Thalidomide
keywords: Esophageal cancer; Radiotherapy; Thalidomide; Vascular endothelial growth factor