A prospective, multicenter phase I/II study of induction chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin and fluorouracil (DCF) followed by chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal carcinoma

Standard care for unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is concurrent chemoradiotherapy, but survival remains limited. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin and fluorouracil (DCF) has demonstrated promising activity, with a pathological complete response (CR) of 17 % for resectable stage II/III ESCC. Here, we conducted a multicenter study to assess the efficacy and safety of induction chemotherapy with DCF followed by CRT in patients with unresectable locally advanced ESCC. Eligibility criteria included clinical T4 and/or M1 lymph node ESCC, PS 0–1 and age 20–70 years. Treatment consisted of docetaxel 70 mg/m2 and cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on day 1, and fluorouracil 750 mg/m2 on days 1–5, repeated every 3 weeks for three cycles, followed by cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on days 64 and 92, and fluorouracil 700 mg/m2 on days 64–67 and 92–95, concurrently with radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions, 5 days/week). Primary endpoint of the phase II part was CR rate. Thirty-three patients were enrolled. The completion rate of protocol treatment was 88 %. Thirteen patients (39.4 %) achieved a CR. With a median follow-up period of 41 months (range 24–49 months), median progression-free survival was 12.2 months, and median survival was 26.0 months, with a survival rate of 40.4 % at 3 years. The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicities were neutropenia, leukopenia, anorexia and dysphagia. No treatment-related death was observed. Induction chemotherapy with DCF followed by CRT is tolerable and shows promising efficacy for unresectable locally advanced ESCC.