Phase II study of cisplatin, 5-FU, and allopurinol in advanced esophageal cancer

Forty patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus were treated with a combination of cisplatin, 5-FU (by continuous 5-day infusion), and allopurinol; 37 are evaluable for response. Thirteen remissions (35%) were obtained, including three complete and ten partial, with a median duration of 9 months. After chemotherapy, seven responding patients underwent a surgical procedure, which was radical in four. The most frequent side effects were nausea and vomiting. This regimen is effective and can be included in a multimodality approach.