Irinotecan, Cisplatin, and Radiation Therapy With or Without Celecoxib in Treating Patients With Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Esophageal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Biopsy proven squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus

  • Lesions including the gastroesophageal junction allowed provided the tumor involves less than 2 cm of gastric cardia

• Meets 1 of the following criteria:

  • Clinical stage II, III, or IV disease AND planning to receive chemoradiotherapy either for preoperative or palliative indications (group 1)

    • Suitable candidate for bimodality (palliative intent) or trimodality (curative intent) therapy

  • Clinical stage II or III disease AND candidate to receive chemoradiotherapy for preoperative indication followed by planned esophagectomy or esophagogastrectomy (group 2)

    • Suitable candidate for trimodality (curative intent) therapy
• No tracheoesophageal fistula on bronchoscopy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Life expectancy > 3 months (group 1)
• Not pregnant
• Adequate nutrition
• WBC ≥ 4,000/μL
• ANC ≥ 1,500/μL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL
• Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

• No other prior or concurrent malignancy other than curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix; localized prostate cancer that was previously treated with local therapy more than 2 years ago with a PSA of less than 4 ng/mL; basal cell carcinoma of the skin; or superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

  • Patients who have had a prior malignancy are eligible if they have been free of disease for ≥ 5 years
• No serious medical or psychiatric illnesses that would preclude giving informed consent or otherwise limit survival to less than 2 years
• No history of known NSAID-induced gastrointestinal bleeding
• No current peptic ulcer disease
• No active coronary artery disease
• No myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident within the past 3 months
• No history of refractory congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• More than 1 week since prior major surgery (group 1)
• More than 2 weeks since prior major surgery (group 2)
• No prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy

• More than 30 days since prior cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (selective or non-selective), including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  • Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)
  • Piroxicam
  • Diclofenac
  • Meloxicam
  • Indomethacin
  • Fenoprofen
  • Sulindac
  • Flurbiprofen
  • Tolmetin
  • Ibuprofen
  • Celecoxib
  • Ketoprofen
  • Rofecoxib
  • Ketoprofen ER
  • Valdecoxib
  • Naproxen
  • Meclofenamate
  • Oxaprozin
  • Mefenamic acid
  • Etodolac
  • Nabumetone
  • Ketorolac
• No concurrent seizure medications
• No concurrent amifostine or other such agents