paclitaxel + cisplatin + fluorouracil

The paclitaxel-Radiation Therapy Oncology Group-esophageal cancer regimen refers to a specific combination chemotherapy and radiation protocol evaluated in the RTOG 0246 Phase II trial for resectable locoregionally advanced esophageal cancer. The treatment involves induction chemotherapy with paclitaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy using cisplatin and 5-FU. Paclitaxel, a member of the taxane class, works by binding to and stabilizing microtubules, which prevents their disassembly and halts cell division. Cisplatin is a platinum-based cytotoxic agent that creates inter- and intra-strand DNA cross-links, leading to DNA damage and apoptosis. 5-fluorouracil is an antimetabolite that inhibits thymidylate synthase, thereby blocking the synthesis of thymidine required for DNA replication. This multimodal strategy was developed by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group to evaluate the efficacy of definitive chemoradiation with selective surgical salvage for patients with residual or recurrent disease.

Other names

paclitaxel-based chemoradiotherapyRTOG 0246 regimenRTOG0246 regimenRTOG-0246 regimenpaclitaxel-Radiation Therapy Oncology Group-esophageal cancer