Combination Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy and Surgery in Treating Patients With Cancer of the Esophagus

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the response rate to preoperative induction paclitaxel/cisplatin followed by concurrent paclitaxel/cisplatin and radiotherapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer. II. Determine the toxic effects, including surgical morbidity and mortality, and patient survival after this combination therapy. III. Monitor the quality of life of patients receiving this combination therapy. IV. Determine c Jun oncogene and thymidylate synthase expression and p53 mutation before and after this combination therapy. OUTLINE: This is an open label, multicenter study. (Adenocarcinoma stratum closed) Patients receive of induction chemotherapy consisting of paclitaxel IV over 3 hours followed by cisplatin IV on days 1 and 22. Patients then receive radiation therapy 5 days a week for 6 weeks, along with paclitaxel and cisplatin 4 days a week. Patients undergo surgery (complete or partial resection) within 4-8 weeks of completion of the chemoradiotherapy. Patients are followed every 3 months for the first 2 years, every 6 months for the next 2 years, and annually thereafter. Quality of life is assessed for the first year of follow up only. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 25 patients will be accrued for each histology (adenocarcinoma, squamous carcinoma) within 18-24 months. (Adenocarcinoma stratum closed)