ABSTRACT
AIM: In Japan, chemotherapeutic agents that have been approved for the treatment of esophageal cancer include cisplatin, nedaplatin, 5-fluorouracil, vindesine, and docetaxel. The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate the efficacy and safety of docetaxel and nedaplatin combination chemotherapy for unresectable or recurrent esophageal cancer in an outpatient setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In total, 33 patients with recurrent esophageal cancer after initial treatment (esophagectomy, chemotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy) were enrolled. Patients received docetaxel (30 mg/m(2)intravenously) and nedaplatin (30 mg/m(2)intravenously) on day 1 biweekly. The response rate (RR), time to treatment failure (TTF), overall survival time (OS), and toxicity were analyzed. RESULTS: The median number of cycles of combination therapy was five (range=2-25 cycles). The RR was 21.2%, and the disease control rate was 60.6%. The median TTF was 71 days, and median OS was 211 days. The most frequent toxicities were leukopenia and anemia; non-hematological toxicities were generally mild. There were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION: This outpatient combination chemotherapy was useful as second-line chemotherapy for unresectable or recurrent esophageal cancer.
