[Docetaxel with concurrent radiotherapy in patients with inoperable or relapsed oesophageal cancer]

In vivo studies have shown docetaxel, a new chemotherapeutic agent, enhances radio-sensitivity by causing a cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. We report here to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of weekly docetaxel concurrent with radiotherapy in advanced or relapsed oesophageal cancer patients.

A total of 8 esophageal cancer patients with relapsed mediastinal lymph nodes (6 patients), psychological disease (1 patient) and local advanced tumor (cT4) after initial 5-FU/CDDP therapy (1 patients) received docetaxel (10 mg/m2 weekly) plus concurrent radiotherapy (2 Gy daily, a total dose of 60 Gy).

2 patients achieved a complete response and 5 patients achieved a partial response, for an overall response rate of 87.5%. Median survival length was 13. 3 months and time to disease progression was 6.6 months. No patient experienced grade 3-4 hematological adverse event. There was esophago-mediastinal fistula in 1 patient.

Docetaxel with concurrent radiotherapy was very effective for relapsed or local advanced esophageal cancer. This therapy had no high grade adverse event and a quality of life in esophageal cancer patients could be maintained.