A pilot trial of S-1 plus irinotecan chemotherapy for esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Background/aims: This study investigated the clinical efficacy and toxicity of the combination chemotherapy using S-1 plus irinotecan for esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Methodology: This study included 10 patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or esophagogastric junction between April 2005 and August 2011. S-1 was administered orally at a dose of 80 mg/m²/day from day 1 to 14 and irinotecan was given intravenously on day 1 and 8 at a dose of 80 mg/m².
Results: A total of 65 cycles were administered and the response rate was 62.5%. The 50% progression-free survival period and the 50% overall survival period for all of the patients was 8.4 months and 19.1 months, respectively and 5.9 months and 16.3 months for the 8 patients with unresectable or recurrent tumors, respectively. The 2 patients that received adjuvant chemotherapy demonstrated a prophylactic effect for the post-operative recurrence. On the other hand, this therapy showed no severe non-hematological toxicity and only 20% experienced grade 3 neutropenia. As a result, the treatment regimen could generally be performed in an outpatient basis.
Conclusions: The combination chemotherapy using S-1 and irinotecan showed tolerable clinical efficacy in terms of the response rate, survival and toxicity for esophageal adenocarcinoma.