Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Cancer of the Esophagus

• Status: Unknown status
• Trial end date: 1969-12-31
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. It is not yet known whether external-beam radiation therapy plus chemotherapy is more effective with or without internal radiation therapy.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare chemotherapy and external-beam radiation therapy with or without internal radiation therapy in treating patients with stage I, stage II, or stage III esophageal cancer.

• Phase: Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud
• Treatments: Fluorouracil

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus No cancer of the cardia Stage T1, T2, T3, or T4 No tumor greater than 7 cm No tumor with diameter greater than 3 cm No involved nodes located more than 3 cm from tumor Supraclavicular nodal involvement eligible with cervical esophageal tumor No metastasis Patient ineligible for surgery because of one of the following: Condition that contraindicates surgery Refusal of surgery

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 to 74 Performance status: 0-2 Hematopoietic: WBC at least 2,000/mm3 Polymorphonuclear lymphocyte count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 80,000/mm3 Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Creatinine less than 2.8 mg/dL Cardiovascular: No angina pectoris No history of myocardial infarction No contraindication to therapy on EKG No other cardiac contraindication to chemotherapy Other: No peripheral neuropathy No second malignancy except basal cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or other carcinoma in remission for at least 2 years Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic: Not specified Chemotherapy: Not specified Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: Not specified Surgery: See Disease Characteristics Other: No prior laser therapy No prior electrocoagulation No prior cryotherapy No prior sclerosing injection