Cisplatin, vindesine, pepleomycin and concurrent radiation therapy following esophagectomy with lymph adenectomy for patients with an esophageal carcinoma.

Between 1986 and 1991, 35 patients with esophageal cancer (TNM stages II-IV) underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with lymph adenectomy and were subsequently treated with 5,000 cGy of radiation (days 1-40) and concurrently with two courses of chemotherapy (cisplatin, vindesine and pepleomycin, days 21-26 and 49-54). Results were compared with those of 26 historical control patients, treated with radiation since 1981. Tolerance in all patients was good. The survival rate at 5 years was significantly improved for the multimodality-treated patients (30.9 +/- 9.4%), as compared with findings in historical controls (5.1 +/- 4.8%). The concurrent chemoradiation therapy using these three drugs following extensive surgery is worthy of consideration for patients with a localized esophageal cancer.