Weekly docetaxel and gemcitabine in previously treated metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Table 1 Patient characteristics n (%)

Characteristics	Patients
Total number of patients	33
Age (yr), median (range)	59 (44-76)
Gender
Male	31 (94)
Female	2 (6)
ECOG PS
1	32 (97)
2	1 (3)
Anatomic site
Upper thoracic	1 (3)
Middle thoracic	26 (79)
Distal	6 (18)
Prior curative-aim treatment
None	7 (21)
Surgery	23 (70)
Chemoradiotherapy	3 (9)
Number of prior chemotherapy regimens
1	25 (76)
2	8 (24)
Tumor grade
Well differentiated	3 (9)
Moderately differentiated	18 (55)
Poorly differentiated or unknown	12 (36)
Metastatic site (s)
Lymph node	29 (88)
Lung	14 (42)
Liver	6 (18)
Bone	3 (9)

ECOG: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

Table 2 Toxicity profile per patient (n = 33): Worst grade reported during the treatment period n (%)

	NCI-CTC grade
	1	2	3	4	1-4	3/4
Hematologic
Anemia	13	16	3	0	32 (97)	3 (9)
Neutropenia	0	5	10	3	18 (55)	13 (39)
Thrombocytopenia	6	2	1	1	10 (30)	2 (6)
Febrile neutropenia	0	0	3	0	3 (9)	3 (9)
Non-hematologic
Asthenia/Fatigue	13	4	4	0	21 (64)	4 (12)
Myalgia	5	1	0	0	6 (18)	0 (0)
Anorexia	10	2	1	0	13 (39)	1 (3)
Nausea	5	1	1	0	7 (21)	1 (3)
Vomiting	4	0	1	0	5 (15)	1 (3)
Mucositis/Stomatitis	6	2	0	0	8 (24)	0 (0)
Diarrhea	6	2	0	0	8 (24)	0 (0)
Hand-foot syndrome	2	2	0	0	4 (12)	0 (0)
Peripheral neuropathy	6	0	0	0	6 (18)	0 (0)
Alopecia	14	1	0	0	15 (46)	0 (0)
Headache	5	0	0	0	5 (15)	0 (0)
Dysphagia	7	1	0	0	8 (24)	0 (0)
Rash	4	2	0	0	6 (18)	0 (0)
Cough	4	1	1	0	6 (18)	1 (3)
Sputum	7	1	1	0	9 (27)	1 (3)
Chest discomfort	10	0	0	0	10 (30)	0 (0)

NCI-CTC: National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria.