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Phase II trial of chemotherapy, external and intraluminal radiation plus surgery for oesophageal cancer

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Abstract

A pilot study was performed to assess the feasibility of combining 5-fluorouracil, recombinant alpha-2b-interferon, external radiation therapy and intraluminal high dose rate brachytherapy with surgery in patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma. 5-fluorouracil, 750 mg m−2, was administered via continuous 5-day infusion beginning day 1 and weekly thereafter; interferon, 10 mu subcutaneously, was administered three times per week beginning day 1 and sargramostin, 5µg kg−1, was administered on days without 5-fluorouracil. External radiation began on day one using 1.5 daily fractions to 55.5 Gy. Intraluminal brachytherapy was delivered concomitantly once each week for 5 fractions of 4 Gy. None of the first eight patients went to surgery. The external radiation was changed to 1.5 Gy BID to 45 Gy followed by BID intraluminal radiation to 15 Gy. Of the last four patients, there was one case of radiation myelitis. It was found that successful surgery was not possible and excessive toxicities, including radiation myelitis, occurred with this aggressive regimen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Albert Einstein Cancer Center, 111 East 210th Street, 10467-2490, Bronx, NY, USA

    Jonathan J. Beitler

  2. Department of Medical Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Albert Einstein Cancer Center, 111 East 210th Street, 10467-2490, Bronx, NY, USA

    Scott Wadler & Hilda Haynes

  3. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Albert Einstein Cancer Center, 111 East 210th Street, 10467-2490, Bronx, NY, USA

    Stanley Fell

  4. Department of Radiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Albert Einstein Cancer Center, 111 East 210th Street, 10467-2490, Bronx, NY, USA

    Alla Rozenblit & Ellen Wolf

  5. Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Albert Einstein Cancer Center, 111 East 210th Street, 10467-2490, Bronx, NY, USA

    Barry A. Levine

Authors
  1. Jonathan J. Beitler
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  2. Scott Wadler
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  3. Hilda Haynes
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  4. Stanley Fell
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  5. Alla Rozenblit
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  6. Ellen Wolf
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  7. Barry A. Levine
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Beitler, J.J., Wadler, S., Haynes, H. et al. Phase II trial of chemotherapy, external and intraluminal radiation plus surgery for oesophageal cancer. Med Oncol 12, 115–120 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01676712

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