Definitive Radiochemotherapy Plus/Minus Cetuximab in Unresectable Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Dated and signed written informed consent
* Male or female patients between 18 years and 75 years; patients \> 75 years if their karnofsky performance status is ≥ 80.
* Histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus which is not curatively resectable. Resectability has to be defined by a surgeon before radiochemotherapy. The tumor is considered unresectable due to T-stage, N-stage, performance status, nutritional status, co-morbidity (pulmonal function, other), tumor location upper third or other reasons
* Karnofsky Performance Status ≥ 70
* Women of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test
* Adequate cardial-, pulmonal- and ear function

Adequate bone marrow function:

* leukocytes ≥ 3.0 x 10\^9/L
* neutrophiles ≥ 1.5 x 10\^9/L
* thrombocytes ≥ 100 x 10\^9/L
* hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dl

Adequate liver function:

* bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dl
* transaminases (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), gamma-GT) ≤ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN)

Adequate kidney function:

* serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dl
* creatinine clearance ≥ 50 ml/min according to Cockcroft-Gault Formula
* no known allergies against chimeric antibodies
* effective contraception for male and female patients if there is a risk of conception

Exclusion Criteria:

* distant metastasis
* previous treatment of esophageal cancer
* previous therapy with monoclonal antibodies and / or EGFR-targeted therapy
* previous second malignancies with exception of a history of a previous curatively treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin or pre-invasive cervix carcinoma
* serious concomitant disease or medical condition
* lung function: forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)) \< 1.1
* clinically relevant coronary artery diseases or known myocardial infarction within the last 12 months or ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below normal
* every active dermatological condition \> grade 1
* contraindications to receive cisplatin, 5-FU or cetuximab
* concurrent treatment with other experimental drugs or participation in another clinical trial within 30 days before study start
* patient pregnant or breast feeding
* known drug abuse, medication abuse, alcohol abuse
* social situations limiting the compliance with the study requirements