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, 5 μg 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.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 115-120 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Medical Oncology |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 1995 |
Keywords
- brachytherapy
- esophageal cancer
- high dose rate
- hyperfractionation
- interferon
- intraluminal
- radiation myelitis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Cancer Research