Combined chemoradiotherapy in @entity66 , inoperable XXXX .

@entity1 @entity632 @entity137 @entity66 @entity5 @entity2910 @entity1149 @entity786 @entity900
Forty-three @entity1 with @entity66 , inoperable @entity1149 received two intravenous courses of @entity786 , @entity632 , and @entity900 (CAP) chemotherapy over a 6-week period. This was followed by 5 weeks of combined chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) consisting of low weekly doses of CAP for 5 weeks plus 50 Gy continuous X ray therapy (XRT) to the primary @entity5 site. Chemotherapy was continued until disease progression occurred or until the total dose of @entity632 reached 450 mg/m2, whichever came first. CCRT improved the response rate [complete response (CR) plus partial responses (PR)] from 25% after two courses of CAP alone to 65% after CCRT. Previous response to two courses of CAP influences response subsequent to CAP plus XRT. A pretherapy weight loss of 6% or greater had a significant adverse effect on both response and survival time. The median survival time for all @entity1 was 50 weeks; @entity1 whose disease responded to treatment survived significantly longer than @entity1 with nonresponding disease. The median time until disease progression was 37 weeks. Twenty-seven @entity1 relapsed. The first sites of relapse were local in 30% of the @entity1 , distant in 56% of them, and both local and distant in 15%. Severe @entity2910 occurred in 30% of the @entity1 and was dose-limiting. The administration of CCRT resulted in an improved response rate compared with the rates reported in previous studies of chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone. Further improvement of the CCRT program is needed to increase long-term survival time and to decrease esophageal @entity137 .
