Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1996 Sep;74(6):980–984. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1996.469

Cisplatin and etoposide in oesophageal cancer: a phase II study. Rotterdam Oesophageal Tumour Study Group.

T C Kok 1, A Van der Gaast 1, J Dees 1, W M Eykenboom 1, H Van Overhagen 1, G Stoter 1, H W Tilanus 1, T A Splinter 1
PMCID: PMC2074745  PMID: 8826870

Abstract

In the search for effective chemotherapy regimens which can be used in multimodality treatment programmes for patients with cancer of the oesophagus, we conducted a phase II trial to determine the activity and toxicity of the combination of cisplatin and etoposide in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus. Seventy-three consecutive patients with unresectable or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic oesophagus were treated with cisplatin 80 mg m-2 by 4 h infusion on day 1, etoposide 100 mg (fixed dose) by 2 h infusion on day 1 and 2, and etoposide 200 mg m-2 orally on day 3 and 5. Courses were repeated every 4 weeks, for a maximum of six courses. The oral dosages of etoposide were modified individually until a significant degree of myelosuppression was reached. Of 65 evaluable patients, five complete responses (CRs) and 26 partial responses (PRs) were seen, for an overall response rate of 48% (95% confidence interval 35-60%). Median time to progression was 7 months (range 3-72 + months). There were two toxic deaths (neutropenic sepsis). The response rate equals that of other cisplatin-based regimens. Its toxicity profile allows addition of a third active drug such as 5-fluorouracil.

Full text

PDF
980

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Achterrath W., Niederle N., Raettig R., Hilgard P. Etoposide--chemistry, preclinical and clinical pharmacology. Cancer Treat Rev. 1982 Jun;9 (Suppl):3–13. doi: 10.1016/s0305-7372(82)80072-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Agha F. P., Gennis M. A., Orringer M. B., Forastiere A. A. Evaluation of response to preoperative chemotherapy in esophageal and gastric cardia cancer using biphasic esophagrams and surgical-pathologic correlation. Am J Clin Oncol. 1986 Jun;9(3):227–232. doi: 10.1097/00000421-198606000-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ajani J. A. Contributions of chemotherapy in the treatment of carcinoma of the esophagus: results and commentary. Semin Oncol. 1994 Aug;21(4):474–482. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ajani J. A., Ilson D. H., Daugherty K., Pazdur R., Lynch P. M., Kelsen D. P. Activity of taxol in patients with squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1994 Jul 20;86(14):1086–1091. doi: 10.1093/jnci/86.14.1086. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cappelaere P., Guiochet N., Bastit P., Favre R., Vanderburg M., Goupil A., Chauvergne J., Thomas D., Van Glabbeke M., Armand J. P. Phase II trial of iproplatin in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, oesophagus and lung. Eur J Cancer. 1993;29A(8):1216–1216. doi: 10.1016/s0959-8049(05)80327-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cavalli F., Sonntag R. W., Jungi F., Senn H. J., Brunner K. W. VP-16-213 monotherapy for remission induction of small cell lung cancer: a randomized trial using three dosage schedules. Cancer Treat Rep. 1978 Mar;62(3):473–475. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chen G. L., Yang L., Rowe T. C., Halligan B. D., Tewey K. M., Liu L. F. Nonintercalative antitumor drugs interfere with the breakage-reunion reaction of mammalian DNA topoisomerase II. J Biol Chem. 1984 Nov 10;259(21):13560–13566. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Clark P. I. Clinical pharmacology and schedule dependency of the podophyllotoxin derivatives. Semin Oncol. 1992 Apr;19(2 Suppl 6):20–27. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Coonley C. J., Bains M., Heelan R., Dukeman M., Kelsen D. P. Phase II study of etoposide in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma. Cancer Treat Rep. 1983 Apr;67(4):397–398. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Davis S., Shanmugathasa M., Kessler W. cis-Dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma. Cancer Treat Rep. 1980 Apr-May;64(4-5):709–711. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. De Besi P., Sileni V. C., Salvagno L., Tremolada C., Cartei G., Fosser V., Paccagnella A., Peracchia A., Fiorentino M. Phase II study of cisplatin, 5-FU, and allopurinol in advanced esophageal cancer. Cancer Treat Rep. 1986 Jul;70(7):909–910. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Dinwoodie W. R., Bartolucci A. A., Lyman G. H., Velez-Garcia E., Martelo O. J., Sarma P. R. Phase II evaluation of cisplatin, bleomycin, and vindesine in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a Southeastern Cancer Study Group Trial. Cancer Treat Rep. 1986 Feb;70(2):267–270. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Engstrom P. F., Lavin P. T., Klaassen D. J. Phase II evaluation of mitomycin and cisplatin in advanced esophageal carcinoma. Cancer Treat Rep. 1983 Jul-Aug;67(7-8):713–715. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Harstrick A., Bokemeyer C., Preusser P., Köhne-Wömpner C. H., Meyer H. J., Stahl M., Knipp H., Schmoll H. J., Wilke H. Phase II study of single-agent etoposide in patients with metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 1992;29(4):321–322. doi: 10.1007/BF00685952. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kelsen D. P., Minsky B., Smith M., Beitler J., Niedzwiecki D., Chapman D., Bains M., Burt M., Heelan R., Hilaris B. Preoperative therapy for esophageal cancer: a randomized comparison of chemotherapy versus radiation therapy. J Clin Oncol. 1990 Aug;8(8):1352–1361. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1990.8.8.1352. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kelsen D., Hilaris B., Coonley C., Chapman R., Lesser M., Dukeman M., Heelan R., Bains M. Cisplatin, vindesine, and bleomycin chemotherapy of local-regional and advanced esophageal carcinoma. Am J Med. 1983 Oct;75(4):645–652. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(83)90451-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kok T. C., Splinter T. A., Verweij J. Etoposide and cisplatin in advanced esophageal cancer. A preliminary report. Acta Oncol. 1988;27(6B):807–809. doi: 10.3109/02841868809094362. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Long B. H., Musial S. T., Brattain M. G. Single- and double-strand DNA breakage and repair in human lung adenocarcinoma cells exposed to etoposide and teniposide. Cancer Res. 1985 Jul;45(7):3106–3112. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Mannell A., Winters Z. Carboplatin in the treatment of oesophageal cancer. S Afr Med J. 1989 Sep 2;76(5):213–214. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Müller J. M., Erasmi H., Stelzner M., Zieren U., Pichlmaier H. Surgical therapy of oesophageal carcinoma. Br J Surg. 1990 Aug;77(8):845–857. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800770804. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Panettiere F. J., Leichman L. P., Tilchen E. J., Chen T. T. Chemotherapy for advanced epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus with single-agent cisplatin: final report on a Southwest Oncology Group study. Cancer Treat Rep. 1984 Jul-Aug;68(7-8):1023–1024. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Radice P. A., Bunn P. A., Jr, Ihde D. C. Therapeutic trials with VP-16-213 and VM-26: active agents in small cell lung cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and other malignancies. Cancer Treat Rep. 1979 Aug;63(8):1231–1239. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ravry M. J., Moore M. R., Omura G. A., Esseese I., Bartolucci A. Phase II evaluation of cisplatin in squamous carcinoma of the esophagus: a Southeastern Cancer Study Group trial. Cancer Treat Rep. 1985 Dec;69(12):1457–1458. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Ross W., Rowe T., Glisson B., Yalowich J., Liu L. Role of topoisomerase II in mediating epipodophyllotoxin-induced DNA cleavage. Cancer Res. 1984 Dec;44(12 Pt 1):5857–5860. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Slevin M. L., Clark P. I., Joel S. P., Malik S., Osborne R. J., Gregory W. M., Lowe D. G., Reznek R. H., Wrigley P. F. A randomized trial to evaluate the effect of schedule on the activity of etoposide in small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 1989 Sep;7(9):1333–1340. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1989.7.9.1333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Splinter T., Kok T., Kho S., Lameris H., ten Kate F., Dalesio O., Dolman B., Palmen F., Bouvy J., Burghouts J. A multicenter phase II trial of cisplatin and oral etoposide (VP-16) in inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer. Semin Oncol. 1986 Sep;13(3 Suppl 3):97–103. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Steel A., Cullen M. H., Robertson P. W., Matthews H. R. A phase II study of carboplatin in adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. Br J Cancer. 1988 Oct;58(4):500–501. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1988.249. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Sternberg C., Kelsen D., Dukeman M., Leichman L., Heelan R. Carboplatin: a new platinum analog in the treatment of epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus. Cancer Treat Rep. 1985 Nov;69(11):1305–1307. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES