OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the response rate in patients with recurrent or metastatic carcinoma of the esophagus or gastric cardia receiving the combination of oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin calcium. II. Determine the duration of response and overall survival of this patient population receiving this regimen. III. Determine the toxicity, including neurotoxicity, of this regimen in this patient population.
OUTLINE: This is an open-label, multicenter study. Patients receive oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours on day 1, then leucovorin calcium IV over 2 hours with fluorouracil IV bolus, followed by fluorouracil IV over 22 hours on days 1 and 2. Treatment continues every 2 weeks for a minimum of 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with stable or responding disease receive at least 3 additional courses of therapy. Patients are followed for a minimum of 2 years or until death.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 12-37 patients will be accrued for this study over 18 months.
