Combined Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy for Esophageal Carcinoma in a Hemodialyzed Patient

The use of antimitotic chemotherapy in hemodialysis patients is not yet well codified, and each individual decision remains difficult. We report the case of a 68-year-old hemodialyzed man who developed a squamous cell carcinoma of the upper third of the esophagus. Necessarily disabling surgery was rejected, and three courses of combined radio- and chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and cis-platinum were performed without decreasing standard doses. The percentage of drugs removed during hemodialysis sessions was low; peak and residual platinum plasma concentrations were only slightly above those observed in normal renal function patients. The treatment was perfectly well tolerated, and tumor response was satisfactory without any relapse for 3 years. This observation suggests that hemodialysis patients could benefit from such 'full therapies', if necessary, without major adverse effects.