Gemcitabine and Cisplatin for Patients with Metastatic or Recurrent Esophageal Carcinoma: A Southwest Oncology Group Study

Purpose: Experimental data, both in vivo and in vitro, suggest that the combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin acts synergistically. Within the Southwest Oncology Group, we designed a Phase II trial to test this chemotherapy combination for patients with esophageal cancer. Experimental design: Patients with metastatic or recurrent esophageal cancer were treated with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15, and cisplatin 100 mg/m2 on day 15. Cycles were repeated every 28 days. The statistical endpoint was overall survival. Results: Sixty-four eligible patients were accrued from 37 institutions. Twenty-six percent of patients had prior chemotherapy. The treatment was generally well-tolerated, with the most common toxicity being neutropenia in 31% of patients. All 64 patients have died. Survival at 3 months was 81%, and at 1 year was 20%. Median survival was 7.3 months. Conclusions: This regimen is tolerable palliative option for patients with metastatic esophageal cancer.