GASTROINTESTINAL : ESOPHAGEAL CANCER

Regimen/Number

Of Patients

Drug Dose and Route

Leukopenia/

Neutropenia

Toxicity

Anemia

Toxicity

Other

Grade III-IV Toxicities

Emetogenic

Potential

Consequences of

Adverse Event(s)

CF

(Bleiberg H, et al.

Eur J Cancer.

1997;33:1216-20)

N = 44

Cisplatin 100 mg/m² IV day 1, followed by

5-Fluorouracil 1000 mg/m²/d IV continuous

infusion, days 1-5

Repeat cycle every 21 days

Leukopenia

Grade III-IV

14%

Febrile Neutropenia

Leading to Septicemia

and Death 5%

Nausea/Vomiting

(Grade III) 27%

Thrombocytopenia 14%

Diarrhea (Grade III) 2%

Mucositis (Grade III) 4%

Vascular Thrombosis

(Grade III) 9%

Day 1–

Level 5

Days 2-5–

Level 2

Infectious mortality 5%

Discontinued treatment

due to toxicity 11%

Death due to vascular

events 9%

ECF

(Ross P, et al.

J Clin Oncol.

2002;20:1996-2004)

N = 289

Epirubicin 50 mg/m² IV day 1

Cisplatin 60 mg/m² IV

5-fluorouracil 200 mg/m²/d protracted IV

continuous infusion for up to 6 months

Note: Warfarin 1 mg PO daily was

administered throughout treatment

to prevent catheter thrombosis.

Leukopenia

Grade III-IV

13%

Neutropenia

Grade III-IV

32%

Grade III-IV 9%

Fever 1%

Infection 6%

Lethargy 18%

Alopecia

(CTC Grade II) 59%

Diarrhea 6%

Nausea 11%

mucositis 5%

palmar-plantar

Erythema 1%

Day 1–

Level 5

Treatment delays

occurred in 50%

Of patients treated

With ECF

One toxic death   (neutropenia

associated)

Cisplatin and epirubicin

doses were reduced

in 30% and 26% of

patients, respectively