A phase II study of carboplatin in adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus

Oesophageal carcinoma has a reputation for being a chemoresistant disease. However four phase II studies of cisplatin have shown a response rate of 22% in 73 patients when used as a single agent (Kelsen, 1984a). The toxicity of cisplatin may be severe with nausea, vomiting, neurological and renal damage. Carboplatin is a cisplatin analogue which is less nephrotoxic and less neurotoxic than the parent compound and can be given to out-patients. It has some activity in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma but has no activity in adenocarcinoma of the stomach or the cardia. The authors report a phase II study of carboplatin in patients with adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. Toxicity was mild and manageable. Nausea and vomiting WHO grade 1 or 2 was seen after 20 of the 29 courses assessed. Severe haematological toxicity WHO grade 3 was only seen in two patients. Nephrotoxicity was mild with only one patient having a WHO grade 1 elevation of his serum creatinine.