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CompletedNCT00002631Updated Nov 19, 2013

Combination Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Cancer of the Esophagus

A Phase 3 interventional study of chemotherapy and cisplatin in Esophageal Cancer, sponsored by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Completed at 18 sites in 2 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2013-11-19.

Sponsored by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
298
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. It is not known whether high-dose radiation therapy is more effective than standard dose radiation therapy in treating cancer of the esophagus.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus high- or standard-dose radiation therapy in treating patients with cancer of the esophagus.

Read the detailed description

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare, using a prospective controlled randomized study design, the survival and failure patterns associated with conventional-dose radiotherapy and fluorouracil/cisplatin (5-FU/CDDP) vs. high-dose radiotherapy and 5-FU/CDDP in patients with esophageal cancer. II. Compare the tolerance and quality of life of patients receiving these therapies.

OUTLINE: Randomized study. Arm I: Radiotherapy plus 2-Drug Combination Chemotherapy/Radiosensitization. Tumor irradiation using megavoltage photons of at least 6 MV (electrons may be used if required to boost supraclavicular fossa dose); plus Cisplatin, CDDP, NSC-119875; Fluorouracil, 5-FU, NSC-19893. High-dose radiotherapy. Arm II: Radiotherapy plus 2-Drug Combination Chemotherapy/Radiosensitization. Tumor irradiation as in Arm I; plus CDDP/5-FU. Conventional-dose radiotherapy.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Up to 298 patients will be entered over 4 years.

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Conditions studied

  • Esophageal Cancer

Keywords

  • stage I esophageal cancer
  • stage II esophageal cancer
  • stage III esophageal cancer
  • squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus
  • adenocarcinoma of the esophagus
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In context

Esophageal Neoplasms

1,593 studies on the registry are indexed under Esophageal Neoplasms; 461 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 298 is above the median of 58 across 1,171 interventional studies indexed under Esophageal Neoplasms.

Browse Esophageal Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group is the lead sponsor of 154 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Biopsy-proven primary squamous cell or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus Clinical Stage T1-4, Nx, M0 disease required Disease entirely confined to the esophagus and periesophageal soft tissue with no tumor extension within 2 cm proximal to the stomach No biopsy-proven invasion of the tracheal-bronchial tree or tracheal-esophageal (TE) fistula Bronchoscopy of tracheal-bronchial tree required for lesions less than 30 cm from the incisors to exclude TE fistula Negative liver biopsy required if liver CT suggestive of metastatic disease Negative biopsy required for enlarged (1.5 cm or greater) retroperitoneal or celiac nodes seen on CT Negative biopsy of clinically or radiographically positive supraclavicular nodes required with cervical primaries No recurrent disease No multiple carcinomas of the esophagus

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 60%-100% Hematopoietic: WBC at least 4,000 Platelets at least 150,000 Hb at least 10 g/dL Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Creatinine normal OR Creatinine clearance at least 65 mL/min Nutrition: Recommended oral intake requirements (by mouth or tube feeding): More than 1.5 x Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE) measured by Harris- Benedict equation OR More than 1,000 calories/sqm of body surface area (BSA) Intravenous hyperalimentation (recommended if inadequate oral intake): 1.75-2.25 x BEE OR 1,200-1,600 calories/sqm BSA Upper limits may be waived for hypermetabolic patients Other: No second malignancy within 5 years except: Curable nonmelanomatous skin cancer Cervical cancer in situ No pregnant or nursing women

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No prior or concurrent growth factor administration Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior chest irradiation Surgery: No prior resection

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Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
298 participants (estimated)

Interventions

  • Drugchemotherapy
  • Drugcisplatin
  • Drugfluorouracil
  • Radiationlow-LET electron therapy
  • Radiationlow-LET photon therapy
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Study locations

18 sites
  • CCOP - Scottsdale Oncology Program
    Scottsdale, Arizona 85259-5404, United States
  • CCOP - Illinois Oncology Research Association
    Peoria, Illinois 61602, United States
  • CCOP - Carle Cancer Center
    Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
  • CCOP - Cedar Rapids Oncology Project
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403-1206, United States
  • CCOP - Iowa Oncology Research Association
    Des Moines, Iowa 10309-1016, United States
  • Siouxland Hematology-Oncology
    Sioux City, Iowa 51101-1733, United States
  • CCOP - Wichita
    Wichita, Kansas 67214-3882, United States
  • CCOP - Duluth
    Duluth, Minnesota 55805, United States
  • Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
    Rochester, Minnesota 55905, United States
  • CentraCare Clinic
    Saint Cloud, Minnesota 56303, United States
  • Quain & Ramstad Clinic, P.C.
    Bismarck, North Dakota 58501, United States
  • CCOP - Merit Care Hospital
    Fargo, North Dakota 58122, United States
  • Altru Health Systems
    Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201, United States
  • CCOP - Toledo Community Hospital Oncology Program
    Toledo, Ohio 43623-3456, United States
  • CCOP - Geisinger Clinical and Medical Center
    Danville, Pennsylvania 17822-2001, United States
  • Rapid City Regional Hospital
    Rapid City, South Dakota 57709, United States
  • CCOP - Sioux Community Cancer Consortium
    Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57105-1080, United States
  • Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
    Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 6X3, Canada
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References and documents

Publications

  • Thomas CR Jr, Berkey BA, Minsky BD, Gaspar LE, Herskovic A, Rich TA, Gunderson LL. Recursive partitioning analysis of pretreatment variables of 416 patients with locoregional esophageal cancer treated with definitive concomitant chemoradiotherapy on Intergroup and Radiation Therapy Oncology Group trials. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2004 Apr 1;58(5):1405-10. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2003.09.022. PubMed 15050316 ↗
  • Smalley SR, Gunderson L, Tepper J, Martenson JA Jr, Minsky B, Willett C, Rich T. Gastric surgical adjuvant radiotherapy consensus report: rationale and treatment implementation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2002 Feb 1;52(2):283-93. doi: 10.1016/s0360-3016(01)02646-3. PubMed 11872272 ↗
  • Kachnic LA, Winter K, Wasserman T, Kelsen D, Ginsberg R, Pisansky TM, Martenson J, Komaki R, Okawara G, Rosenthal SA, Willett CG, Minsky BD. Longitudinal Quality-of-Life Analysis of RTOG 94-05 (Int 0123):A Phase III Trial of Definitive Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal Cancer. Gastrointest Cancer Res. 2011 Mar;4(2):45-52. PubMed 21673875 ↗
  • Minsky BD, Pajak TF, Ginsberg RJ, Pisansky TM, Martenson J, Komaki R, Okawara G, Rosenthal SA, Kelsen DP. INT 0123 (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 94-05) phase III trial of combined-modality therapy for esophageal cancer: high-dose versus standard-dose radiation therapy. J Clin Oncol. 2002 Mar 1;20(5):1167-74. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2002.20.5.1167. PubMed 11870157 ↗
  • Kachnic LA, Scott C, Ginsberg R, et al.: One year follow-up reveals no difference in quality of life between high dose and conventional dose radiation: a quality of life assessment of RTOG 94-05. [Abstract] Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 51 (3 suppl 1): A-172, 97, 2001.
  • Minsky BD, Berkey B, Kelsen DK, et al.: Preliminary results of Intergroup INT 0123 randomized trial of combined modality therapy (CMT) for esophagel cancer: standard vs high dose radiation therapy. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 19: A927, 2000.
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 19, 2013, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00002631
Lead sponsor
Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
Collaborators
National Cancer Institute (NCI), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, North Central Cancer Treatment Group
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 31, 2004
Start date
Jun 1995
Primary completion
Sep 1999
Last update
Nov 19, 2013

Study contacts

Bruce D. Minsky, MD
study chair · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Thomas M. Pisansky, MD
study chair · Mayo Clinic
James A. Martenson, MD
study chair · Mayo Clinic

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Nov 2013. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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