[Gene therapy for esophageal cancer]

Since surgical resection alone rarely results in long-term survival in esophageal cancer patients, efforts now are focused on combined multi modality treatment in an attempt to improve local control and eliminate micro metastasis present at time of surgery. We have reported that the importance of alteration of p53 gene in progression and prognosis of esophageal cancer. Based on the research of p53 gene therapy for esophageal cancer, we started phase I/II study in 2000. So far, ten patients were enrolled into this clinical study. Six of ten patients were alive more than one-year after initiation of gene therapy. No severe side effects were observed. Although no significant response was observed, seven cases showed stable disease.