Definitive Radiochemotherapy Plus/Minus Cetuximab in Unresectable Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer is a highly aggressive tumor. Treatment options are various and range from chemotherapy to radiotherapy and several surgical techniques. Nevertheless, the overall survival rates for this disease remain poor. During the last years the combination of cetuximab with standard chemotherapy or radiotherapy has mainly be investigated in clinical trials focusing on colorectal and/or head and neck cancer. The results obtained from theses studies were very encouraging and led to the initiation of active clinical research in esophageal cancer patients with antibody inhibition of the EGFR. The first data in this indication are encouraging showing that cetuximab can safely be added to chemoradiation for esophageal cancer patients with first hints of efficacy. Based on the experiences with cetuximab in colorectal cancer and in combination with radiotherapy in head and neck cancer, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility of a combined treatment of cetuximab with continuous infusional 5-FU, cisplatin and radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer and to assess if the overall survival rates can be increased by addition of an EGFR-targeted therapy.