Antineoplaston Therapy in Treating Patients With Cancer of the Esophagus

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the esophagus that is unlikely to respond to existing therapy and for which no curative therapy exists Meets 1 of the following criteria: Metastatic disease Not curable with surgery or radiotherapy Measurable disease by MRI or CT scan PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: At least 2 months Hematopoietic: WBC at least 2000/mm3 Platelet count at least 50,000/mm3 Hepatic: No hepatic failure Bilirubin no greater than 2.5 mg/dL SGOT and SGPT no greater than 5 times upper limit of normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2.5 mg/ml No history of renal conditions that contraindicate high dosages of sodium Cardiovascular: No chronic or congestive heart failure No uncontrolled hypertension No other cardiovascular conditions that contraindicate high dosages of sodium Pulmonary: No serious lung disease, such as severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Other: Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after study participation No medical illness, psychiatric illness, or non-malignant systemic disease that would preclude study treatment No active infection PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy and recovered Chemotherapy: At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered Endocrine therapy: Concurrent steroids allowed Radiotherapy: At least 8 weeks since prior radiotherapy (except in patients with multiple tumors who have received radiotherapy to some of their tumors) and recovered Surgery: Recovered from prior surgery Other: No prior antineoplaston therapy Prior cytodifferentiating agents allowed