Radiation Dose Escalation in Esophageal Cancer

The RTOG 8501 has established concurrent radiochemotherapy as the standard of care for cancer of the esophagus.However, locoregional remain problematic, with 25% of patients having persistence and 20% relapse of locoregional disease following the combined modality approach. New regimen is urgently needed for improving localregional control and survival.

Inclusion criteria

• Histologically confirmed primary squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus
• Age 1 8-75.
• Patients must be deemed unresectable disease or patient is not deemed operable due to medical reasons.
• Patients with distant metastasis and life expectancy >/= 3 months are eligible.
• Zubrod performance status 0 to 2
• No prior radiation to the thorax that would overlap with the current treatment field.
• Patients with nodal involvement are eligible
• Adequate bone marrow, renal and hepatic functions as assessed by the following: Hemoglobin >/= 10.0 g/dl, Platelet count >/= 1 00,000/mm^3,absolute granulocyte count (AGC) ≥2 × 10^9 cells/L,bilirubin and Aspartate transaminase ≤1.5 ×upper limit of normal (ULN), Creatinine </=1 .5 times ULN.
• A signed informed consent must be obtained prior to therapy. 1 0. Induction chemotherapy is allowed.

Exclusion criteria

• The presence of a fistula.
• Prior radiotherapy that would overlap the radiation fields.
• gastroesophageal junction cancer.
• Uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) exacerbation or other respiratory illness, serious uncontrolled infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure (CHF),unstable angina pectoris, uncontrolled hypertension,or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with the study requirements.
• Known hypersensitivity to paclitaxel.
• Any other condition or circumstance that would, in the opinion of the Investigator, make the patient unsuitable for participation in the study.
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
• Conditions precluding medical follow-up and protocol compliance