Concurrent chemoradiotherapy using paclitaxel plus cisplatin in the treatment of elderly patients with esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at assessing the efficiency and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) using paclitaxel (PTX) plus cisplatin (CDDP) in elderly (age ≥70 years) esophageal cancer patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between July 2008 and June 2011, 82 esophageal cancer patients aged ≥70 years were retrospectively analyzed. Chemotherapy consisted of CDDP for 3 days plus PTX given for 3 hours. The preplanned total dose of concurrent irradiation with 60 Gy/30 Fx was given at the 1st day of chemotherapy.

RESULTS: The average age for the enrolled patients was 76.41 years (range: 70-87 years), and the clinical stages were stage I (two patients), stage II (23 patients), stage III (49 patients), and stage IV (eight patients). A total of 66 patients finished CCRT on schedule, including 55 (67.1%) patients in whom treatment regimen was not changed, and the clinical complete response was achieved in 29 patients. With a median follow-up time of 20.4 months, the median overall survival (OS) time and progression-free survival (PFS) time were 26.9 months and 18.2 months, respectively. The 2-year OS and PFS rates for stage I-II and III-IV were 76.0%, 64.0% and 38.6%, 21.2%, respectively. Grade ≥3 leukopenia was observed in 25 patients, and the most common nonhematologic toxicity was esophagitis including five and two patients with grade 3 and 4, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that clinical stage was a strong factor for OS and PFS.

CONCLUSION: CCRT using PTX plus CDDP for selected elderly esophageal cancer patients resulted in encouraging survival outcomes and tolerable toxicities. Future prospective studies in large cohorts are highly warranted to confirm the findings in our report.