Active clinical trials for "Esophageal Neoplasms"

Cancer of the esophagus is a very serious cancer. Studies have shown that using chemotherapy and radiation before surgery is the most promising treatment approach, with one quarter to one half of tumors shrinking by 50% or more in size after chemotherapy and radiation. In patients who have a very good response to this treatment, survival following esophagectomy has increased, although the amount of increase has varied quite a bit between the different studies. Older studies have used the drugs Cisplatin and 5-fluoruracil. Although this combination of drugs has been beneficial, we wish to use a newer combination of drugs which may be more effective for esophageal cancer. The chemotherapy drugs used in this study are Cisplatin and Irinotecan. We also want to find out what side effects these drugs cause when given with radiation, and how often these side effects occur.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy such as paclitaxel, fluorouracil, and cisplatin 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. Combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well combination chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy, with or without surgery, works in treating patients with resectable locally advanced cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction.

RATIONALE: Laparoscopic-assisted surgery and video-assisted thoracoscopy are less invasive types of surgery for esophageal cancer that may have fewer side effects and improve recovery. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well laparoscopic-assisted surgery and video-assisted thoracoscopy work in treating patients who are undergoing esophagectomy for high-grade dysplasia of the esophagus or stage I, stage II, or stage III esophageal cancer.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies such as cetuximab may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well cetuximab works in treating patients with metastatic esophageal cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer.

RATIONALE: Bortezomib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving bortezomib together with paclitaxel and carboplatin may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving bortezomib together with paclitaxel and carboplatin works in treating patients with unresectable, metastatic cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction.

Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of topotecan and radiation therapy in treating patients who have solid tumors or lymphoma. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage cancer cells. Combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy may kill more cancer cells.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not known whether chemotherapy before surgery is more effective than surgery alone in treating cancer of the esophagus. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of surgery with or without chemotherapy in treating patients with stage II or stage III cancer of the esophagus.

RATIONALE: Chemoprevention therapy is the use of certain drugs to try to prevent the development or recurrence of cancer. The use of isotretinoin may be an effective way to prevent cancer or stop cancer from growing. Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. Combining isotretinoin and interferon may be an effective treatment for some recurrent cancers. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of interferon alfa plus isotretinoin in treating patients with recurrent cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic esophageal or gastric cancer.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, carboplatin, and fluorouracil, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving radiation therapy with chemotherapy and giving them before surgery may shrink the tumor so that it can be removed during surgery. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving radiation therapy together with combination chemotherapy followed by esophagectomy works in treating patients with locally advanced cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction.