[Evaluation of multidisciplinary treatment involving chemotherapy with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, bleomycin (peplomycin) and 5-fluorouracil for advanced esophageal carcinoma].

Abstract

Twelve patients with unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus were treated with a combination chemotherapy regimen consisting of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP), bleomycin (BLM) or peplomycin (PEP), and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Ten of them received radiation therapy additionally. CDDP was administered once every 4 weeks at a dose of 50 mg/m2. Methylprednisolone of 250 mg was given intravenously 4 times at the same day with infusion of CDDP. BLM or PEP was administered intravenously at a dose of 20 mg/m2 every 2 weeks and 5-FU was administered at a dose of 330 mg/m2 on days 1-5, 15-19, and afterwards every 4 weeks. All patients received at least two courses of chemotherapy. All of them were evaluable. Complete and partial responses were obtained in one and eight cases, respectively. Responsive rate was 75.0%. The median duration of response was 17.0 weeks. The median duration of survival was 44.0 weeks in all patients, 46.1 weeks in responders and 17.9 weeks in non-responders. Nausea, vomiting, leucopenia, fever, nephrotoxicity and radiation esophagitis were observed as side effects but most of them were mild and well tolerated. In conclusion, this regimen was considered to be very useful as the chemotherapy for primary esophageal carcinoma.