Oxaliplatin and Irinotecan in Recurrent or Metastatic Esophageal and Gastroesophageal (GE) Junction Carcinoma

Inclusion Criteria:

* All patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Patients with tumors of the gastroesophageal junction were eligible if at least 50% of the tumor involved the esophagus.
* Patients must have locally advanced (i.e. unresectable) or metastatic disease
* All sites of disease must be assessed and designated as measurable or non-measurable disease as documented by CT, MRI, X-ray physical Each of the criteria in the following section must be met in order for a patient to be eligible for registration.
* Patients may have received prior radiotherapy if there has been complete recovery from all radiation-induced toxicities. At least 4 weeks must have been elapsed from the completion of radiation therapy to the time of registration. If lesions within the radiation port are to be used to assess response to therapy, those lesions must have demonstrated clear progression by the criteria outlined in Section 10.2d following completion of radiation therapy.
* Patients must have adequate bone marrow reserve as documented by absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \> 1,500 microliters and platelets \> 100,000/microliter obtained within 14 days prior to registration.
* Patients must have adequate hepatic as documented by serum bilirubin \< 1.5 x the institutional upper limit of normal. Serum transaminase (SGOT or SGPT) must be \< 1.5 x the institutional upper limit of normal serum unless the liver is involved with tumor, in which case serum transaminase (SGOT or SGPT) must be \< 5 x the institutional limit of normal. These tests must be obtained within 14 days prior to registration.

Patients must have a creatinine \< 1.5 x the institutional upper limit of normal or a creatinine clearance of \> 30 cc/min calculated using the following formula obtained within 28 days prior to registration.

Calculated Creatinine Clearance = (140-age) X wt (kg) X (0.85 if female) 72 X creatinine (mg/dl)

These tests must have been performed within 28 days prior to registration.

* All patients must be 18 years of age or older
* Patients must have a Zubrod performance of 0-2

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients must not have received prior chemotherapy for chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer. Chemotherapy given adjuvantly or as a radiosensitizer is allowed if more than 8 weeks have elapsed since the treatment was completed and they have recovered from any treatment related toxicity.
* Patients must not have a surgical procedure for esophageal cancer within 4 weeks prior to registration. Patients must have completely recovered from all surgery prior to registration.
* Patients with any evidence of active or uncontrolled infection, recent myocardial infection, unstable angina, or life-threatening arrhythmia are not eligible.
* Patients with severe psychiatric disorder are not eligible.
* Patients with known brain metastasis are not eligible. However, brain-imaging studies are not required for eligibility if the patient has no neurological signs or symptoms. If brain-imaging studies are performed, they must be negative for disease.
* No other prior malignancy is allowed except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma, in situ cervical cancer, or adequately treated Stage I and II cancer from which the patient is in complete remission, or any other malignancy from which the patient has been disease-free for 5 years.
* Patients should not have active infection.
* Patients should not have psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical conditions that do not permit medical follow-up and compliance with study protocol.
* Except for cancer-related abnormalities, patients should not have unstable or pre-existing major medical conditions.
* Patients should not have any immediate life-threatening complications of their malignancies.