Phase III randomized trial comparing neoadjuvant paclitaxel+platinum to 5-fluorouracil+platinum in esophageal/GEJ squamous cell carcinoma

Standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for locally advanced esophageal/gastroesophageal junction squamous cancer (LAEGSC), 5-fluorouracil (5FU)+platinum, is toxic and logistically challenging; alternative regimens are needed. Phase III randomized open-label non-inferiority trial at Tata Memorial Center, India, in resectable LAEGSC. Patients were randomized 1:1 to three cycles of 3-weekly platinum (cisplatin 75 mg/m2 or carboplatin AUC 6) with paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 (day 1) or 5FU 1000 mg/m2 continuous infusion (days 1-4), followed by surgery. Between August 2014 and June 2022, we enrolled 420 patients; 210 to each arm. Significantly more patients on paclitaxel + platinum (194 (92.3%)] received all 3 chemotherapy cycles than on 5FU+platinum (170 [85.9%]), P = .009. 5FU + platinum caused more grade ≥ 3 toxicities (124 [69.7%]) than paclitaxel + platinum (97 [51.9%]), P = .001. Surgery was performed in 131 (62.4%) patients on 5FU + platinum vs 139 (66.2%) on paclitaxel + platinum, P = .415. Paclitaxel + platinum resulted in higher pathologic primary tumor clearance (33 [25.8%]) vs 17 [15%]; P = .04), and pathologic complete responses in 21.9% compared to 12.4% from 5FU + platinum, P = .053. Median OS was 27.5 months (95% CI, 18.6-43.5) from paclitaxel + platinum, which was non-inferior to 27.1 months (95% CI, 18.8-40.7) from 5FU + platinum; HR, 0.89 (95% CI, 0.72-1.09); P = .346. Neoadjuvant paclitaxel + platinum chemotherapy is safer, and results in similar R0 resections, higher pathologic tumor clearance and non-inferior survival, compared to 5FU + platinum. Paclitaxel + platinum should replace 5FU + platinum as NACT for resectable LAEGSC. CTRI/2014/04/004516.