Docetaxel, nedaplatin, and S-1 (DGS) chemotherapy for advanced esophageal carcinoma: a phase I dose-escalation study

More effective regimens are urgently needed for treatment of esophageal carcinoma; therefore, we conducted a phase I trial of a combination of docetaxel, nedaplatin, and S-1 (DGS) to determine the optimal dose in patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma.

We studied 14 patients with previously untreated advanced cervical esophageal carcinoma with T3-4 tumors and/or M1 staging and esophageal carcinoma with cervical lymph node metastasis. The patients received an infusion of docetaxel at different dose levels (levels 1, 2, 3, 4: 25, 30, 35, 40 mg/m(2), respectively) and an infusion of nedaplatin (40 mg/m(2)) on day 8 plus oral administration of S1 (80 mg/m(2)/day) for two consecutive weeks at two-week intervals.

Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) included febrile neutropenia and leukopenia. DLTs occurred in 2 out of 5 patients at level 4. The response rate was 78.6 (11/14)%, including a complete response rate of 35.7(5/14)%.

The DGS regimen reported here was well tolerated and toxicities were manageable. The maximum tolerated dose was level 4, and the recommended dose was determined to be docetaxel at 35 mg/m(2) with nedaplatin at 40 mg/m(2) plus S1 at 80 mg/m(2). We found that our regimen, administered on an outpatient basis, showed high activity and tolerance. A phase II study has been started.