Phase I/II study of divided-dose docetaxel, cisplatin and fluorouracil for patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Docetaxel+Cisplatin+5-FU (DCF) Therapy as a Preoperative Chemotherapy to Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Single-center Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the safety and clinical efficacy of docetaxel+cisplatin+5-fluorouracil (DCF) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Methods In this single-center study, patient background and treatment outcomes (NAC efficacy assessment, NAC adverse events, short-term postoperative outcomes, and one-year postoperative outcomes) in patients treated with preoperative DCF and preoperative cisplatin+5-FU (CF) were compared retrospectively. Patients Seventeen patients diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and treated with preoperative DCF therapy and 50 patients treated with preoperative CF therapy between January 2013 and July 2019 were included in this study. Results There were significant differences in clinical T factor and clinical stage between the CF and DCF groups (p<0.05). All patients in the DCF therapy group were above clinical T3 and clinical stage III. The clinical response after NAC was partial response (PR) for 23 patients (46.0%) in the CF group and 13 patients (76.5%) in the DCF group (p=0.030). Regarding adverse events in NAC, neutropenia, febrile neutropenia (FN), diarrhea, and stomatitis were observed more frequently in the DCF group than in the CF group (p<0.05). The postoperative results [overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), one-year OS, one-year RFS] of the DCF group were comparable to those of the CF group. Conclusion DCF therapy has been recognized as an effective treatment option for advanced ESCC. However, the indication for DCF therapy should be chosen carefully because of the high incidence of adverse events.

Triplet chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin and S-1 for unresectable advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: phase I/II trial results

Background

Although triplet regimen of docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-FU (DCF) reportedly yields high response rates for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE), it has severe toxicity. In our previous phase II trial, grade 3/4 toxicities of neutropenia occurred in 68.8% of the patients. Development of chemotherapeutic regimen that does not impair quality of life of the patients with metastatic SCCE is therefore needed. A novel chemotherapeutic regimen combining docetaxel, cisplatin, and alternate-day administration of S-1 (modified DCS) may be associated with reduction of severe adverse effects.

Methods

This study is a single center phase I/II trial of chemotherapy using modified DCS regimen for patients with recurrent/unresectable SCCE. The phase I trial adopts a ‘3 + 3 patient cohort’, dose-escalating study design. In the phase II trial, the primary endpoint is evaluation of the overall response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints are evaluation of drug-related toxicity, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS).

Results

In the phase I trial, the recommended dose for docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1 were 40 mg/m² (day 1), 50 mg/m² (day 1), and 80 mg/m²/day, respectively. In the phase II trial (n = 50), the ORR was 54 %. The median OS and PFS were 10 and 4 months, respectively. Grade 3/4 adverse events included neutropenia (26%), leukopenia (14%), anorexia (10%) and febrile neutropenia (6%).

Conclusion

The modified DCS therapy for patients with advanced SCCE is feasible and safe in both chemotherapeutic and perioperative periods.

Registration number: UMIN000016364.

Phase II Trial of 5-Fluorouracil, Docetaxel, and Nedaplatin (UDON) Combination Therapy for Recurrent or Metastatic Esophageal Cancer

LESSONS LEARNED

The 5-fluorouracil, docetaxel, and nedaplatin (UDON) regimen was well tolerated and showed promising antitumor activity in terms of both objective response rate and survival for patients with advanced or recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the first-line setting.UDON may be an optimal treatment option for patients with advanced esophageal cancer who are unfit for docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil regimens.The high response rate as well as the rapid and marked tumor shrinkage associated with UDON suggest that further evaluation of this regimen in the neoadjuvant setting is warranted.

BACKGROUND

A phase II study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), docetaxel, and nedaplatin (UDON) combination therapy for untreated recurrent or metastatic esophageal cancer.

METHODS

Patients received intravenous nedaplatin (90 mg/m²) on day 1, docetaxel (35 mg/m²) on days 1 and 15, and 5-fluorouracil (800 mg/m²) on days 1-5 of a 4-week cycle. The primary endpoint was response rate, with secondary endpoints including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), dysphagia score, and adverse events.

RESULTS

Between March 2015 and July 2017, 23 patients were enrolled. Of 22 evaluable patients, 16 and 4 individuals experienced a partial response and stable disease, respectively, yielding a response rate of 72.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 49.8%-89.3%) and disease control rate of 90.9% (95% CI, 70.8%-98.9%). Median OS and PFS were 11.2 months (95% CI, 9.1 months to not reached) and 6.0 months (95% CI, 2.5-10.6 months), respectively. Eleven (64.7%) of the 17 patients with a primary lesion showed amelioration of dysphagia after treatment. Frequent adverse events of grade 3 or 4 included neutropenia (87.0%) and leukopenia (39.1%). Febrile neutropenia was observed in two patients (8.7%).

CONCLUSION

This phase II study demonstrated promising antitumor activity and good tolerability of UDON.

Outcomes of esophagectomy after chemotherapy with biweekly docetaxel plus cisplatin and fluorouracil for advanced esophageal cancer: a retrospective cohort analysis

Background

Docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) therapy can cause severe adverse events, including neutropenia and febrile neutropenia. The feasibility of DCF therapy is a concern, particularly for elderly patients, patients with moderate organ disorders, and patients suffering from malnutrition caused by dysphagia or insufficient oral intake. We introduced a biweekly DCF therapy (bDCF) for the purpose of reducing severe adverse events for these fragile patients. This study investigated the feasibility and outcome of an esophagectomy after bDCF therapy for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods

Fifty-nine patients with esophageal carcinoma underwent an esophagectomy after DCF or bDCF therapy as primary chemotherapy. DCF was administered to 37 patients in the DCF group, whereas bDCF was administered to 22 patients in the bDCF group.

Results

Patients in the bDCF group were significantly older than those in the DCF group (p = 0.016). Heart and pulmonary comorbidities were significantly more common in the bDCF than in the DCF group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.039, respectively). Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was less frequent in the bDCF than in the DCF group (40.9 vs. 81.1%, p = 0.002). Anorexia was more frequent in the DCF group than in the bDCF group (18.9 vs. 0%, p = 0.030). The clinical response rate of the bDCF group was significantly higher than that of the DCF group (86.4 vs. 62.2%, p = 0.047). There was no significant between-group difference in the postoperative morbidity rate (bDCF 45.5% vs. DCF 32.4%) or in the histological therapeutic effect.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate that primary bDCF therapy for high-risk patients with advanced esophageal cancer is feasible and safe in both chemotherapeutic and perioperative periods without a reduction in the efficacy of DCF therapy.

Phase I/II Trial of Chemotherapy with Docetaxel, Cisplatin, and S-1 for Unresectable Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus

Our previous trial with a docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) regimen showed high response rates in metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE). The observed increased toxicity of the DCF regimen, however, was clinically harmful. S-1, an oral anticancer drug, has been approved as a combination therapy for SCCE, and alternate-day regimen with S-1 has shown lower levels of toxicity. This prospective single-center phase I/II trial examines the efficacy and toxicity of a combination of docetaxel, cisplatin, and an alternate-day regimen of S-1 (modified DCS) for patients with metastatic SCCE. We use a two-stage design. Phase I is undertaken to determine the maximum tolerated dose and the recommended dose. The phase I trial adopts a three-patient cohort with escalating dose study design. In the phase II trial, the primary endpoint is the assessment of the overall response rate (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1). The secondary endpoints are the evaluation of drug-related toxicity (National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria 4.0), overall survival, and progression-free survival. Fifty patients with metastatic SCCE participate in the phase II section. This study protocol is the first to test the effects of the modified DCS regimen for metastatic SCCE.

Expression of BRCA1, a factor closely associated with relapse-free survival, in patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to identify the biomarkers associated with chemotherapeutic efficacy and long-term survival for patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE) who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel and cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (NAC-DCF).

METHODS

This study included 45 patients with advanced SCCE who received NAC-DCF between 2008 and 2012. The NAC-DCF was conducted as a phase II study (UMIN000007408). The expressions of excision repair cross-complementing-1 (ERCC1), class III beta-tubulin, breast cancer susceptibility gene I (BRCA1), and thymidylate synthase were investigated simultaneously in the pre-treatment endoscopic tumor biopsy samples.

RESULTS

A multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that pathological responses were significantly associated with tumors with low ERCC1 expression (P = 0.016) and with tumors with high BRCA1 expression (P = 0.030). The multivariate Cox proportional hazard model analysis for relapse-free survival revealed high BRCA1 expression (P = 0.031, hazards ratio 4.39) as the factor associated with survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Low ERCC1 expression and high BRCA1 expression in patients with SCCE were associative biomarkers for chemotherapeutic efficacy. High BRCA1 expression was considered the factor associated with survival. These findings may be helpful for tailoring chemotherapy.