Perioperative Vs. Preoperative Chemotherapy With Surgery in the Squamous Carcinoma of Esophagus

Inclusion Criteria:

* Signed informed consent
* histologically confirmed esophageal cancer (squamous carcinoma) measurable, non-metastatic disease
* no previous cancer therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy or resection)
* life expectancy \> 3 months
* age \> 18 years
* WHO Status ≤ 1
* Intended curative resection according to evaluation of an experienced surgeon
* Negative pregnancy blood test at screening but not earlier than 72 hours prior to start of chemotherapy for women with child bearing potential
* Adequate haematologic function and liver and renal function: neutrophils \> 1.5×109/L; thrombocytes \> 100×109/L; haemoglobin \> 10 g/dl, creatinine clearance \> 60 ml/min (calculated according to Cockroft and Gault), total bilirubin \< 1.0×UNL; AST and ALT \< 1.5×UNL, AP \< 2.5×UNL
* Complete staging within 3 weeks prior to start of treatment (CT-scan of thorax and abdomen, endosonography, gastroscopy)
* Ability to keep appointments and follow the study protocol
* By CT-scan, endoscopy or endosonography measurable or evaluable disease

Exclusion Criteria:

* Former therapy of cancer (operation, chemo- or radiotherapy)
* Diagnosis of another cancer in the last 5 years prior to study entry which has not been cured by operation only (exception in-situ-carcinoma of the cervix or cured non-melanomatose skin cancer)
* Known contraindication to the planned chemotherapeutics
* Presence of distant metastases
* Anamnestic known serious disease or other concomitant diseases that affect participation in this study, such as:

oInstable cardiac disease: symptomatic heart failure, symptomatic coronary artery disease, ventricular cardiac arrhythmia not well controlled with medication, myocardial infarction or resuscitation within 6 month before study oActive infection necessitating systemic therapy or uncontrolled infection oInterstitial lung diseases (for example: pneumonitis or fibrosis of the lung) and indication for interstitial lung disease in chest x-ray or CT-scan respectively oActive inflammatory bowel disease or other bowel diseases which provoke chronic diarrhea (defined as \> 4 bowel movements per day) oNeurological or psychiatric disease including dementia, epilepsy or untreated, symptomatic brain metastases oLimited hearing ability

* Presence of upper GI obstruction, leading to inability to swallow ground tablets
* Presence of acute or chronic systemic infection
* Presence of a bowel obstruction within the last 30 days
* Pregnant or lactating women or women with child bearing potential and men without adequate contraception (high effective contraception, defined as Pearl Index \< 1) like birth control pill, hormone spiral, hormone implant, transdermal patch, a combination of two barrier methods (condom and diaphragm), realized sterilization or sexual abstinence during the study and at least for 3 months after the last infusion
* Any other situation which may lead to an unacceptable high risk for the patient, when he participates in the study
* Parallel treatment in another clinical study or prior participation in this study
* Treatment with any other therapy against the tumor or any parallel radiation
* Symptomatic peripheral neuropathy NCI-CTCAE degree \> 2
* Intolerance to the study medication
* Detention in a psychiatric unit or imprisonment