Cetuximab, Docetaxel, Cisplatin, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer That Can Be Removed by Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the thoracic esophagus

  • Carcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction (i.e., Siewert staging system type I disease) allowed

• Locally advanced disease

  • Obstructive tumors are considered locally advanced disease

  • Meets 1 of the following staging criteria:

    • T3, N0 disease
    • T1-3, N1 disease
    • T4, N0-1 disease

• Resectable disease

  • No T4 (unequivocal organ involvement) disease that cannot be resected with curative intent
• No airway infiltration in case of tumors of the upper third of the thoracic esophagus
• No cervical esophageal carcinoma
• No distant metastasis, including stage M1a (celiac node involvement) by fine-needle aspiration or biopsy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• WHO performance status 0-1
• Creatinine clearance > 60 mL/min
• Bilirubin normal
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 12 months after completion of study treatment
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer or adequately treated in situ cervical cancer

• No severe or uncontrolled cardiovascular disease including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  • New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure
  • Unstable angina pectoris
  • Myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
  • Significant arrhythmias
• No psychiatric disorder that would preclude study compliance
• No active uncontrolled infection
• No serious underlying medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with study participation (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or active autoimmune disease)
• No peripheral neuropathy > grade 1
• No contraindications to corticosteroids
• No known hypersensitivity to any component of the study drugs

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior chemotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to the chest
• No participation in another clinical trial within the past 30 days
• No other concurrent experimental drugs or anticancer therapy
• No concurrent drugs contraindicated for use with the study drugs