Oxaliplatin, Capecitabine, and Radiation Therapy in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Stage II, III, IV Esophageal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus

  • Stage II-IVA disease as determined by clinical staging, including endoscopy and CT scan with or without endoscopic ultrasound
  • Bulk of gastroesophageal junction tumor should be in the esophagus
• Bronchoscopy with biopsy and cytology required if primary esophageal cancer is < 26 cm from incisors
• No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Life expectancy > 4 months
• WBC > 4,000/mm³
• ANC > 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count > 100,000/mm³
• Hemoglobin > 9 g/dL
• Bilirubin normal
• Creatinine normal
• AST < 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times ULN
• Able to take oral medication or undergo enteral administration of medication
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 90 days after completion of study treatment
• No hypersensitivity to platinum compounds, fluoropyrimidines, or antiemetics administered in combination with protocol-directed chemotherapy

• No concurrent uncontrolled illness, including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  • Ongoing or active infection
  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  • Unstable angina pectoris
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

• No history of second malignancy except for curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer

  • Other cured tumors allowed at discretion of the principal investigator
• No known HIV or hepatitis B or C (active and/or previously treated)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior therapy for esophageal cancer
• No other concurrent investigational agents