Trial of Docetaxel, Cisplatin, Fluorouracil (5-FU) for Unresectable Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC)

Inclusion Criteria: * locally advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer precluding curative surgical resection and recurrent esophageal cancer measurable disease by CT scan * ECOG performance status 0-1 * 20 years and older * Patients must have clinically documented unresectable or metastatic esophageal cancer and histologic confirmation of the diagnosis with tumor * Tissue from tumor must be available * Patients must have measurable disease * Patients may have received prior adjuvant chemotherapy; this must have been completed at least 1 month * Life expectancy \> 3 months * Laboratory values as follows * 3000/mm3 \< WBC \< 12000/mm3 * 1500/mm3 \< granulocyte count * 8.0 gm/dl \< hemoglobin * Platelet count \> 100000/mm3 * Aspartate transaminase \< 150 IU/L * Alanine transaminase \< 150 IU/L * Creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dl * Able and willing to give valid written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy (women of childbearing potential: refusal or inability to use effective means of contraception) * Active or uncontrolled infection * Prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy within 4 weeks, surgery within 3 weeks or immunotherapy within 1 week * Clinically significant heart disease * Patients with a history of myocardial infarction within the previous three months * Patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or hypertension * Presence of clinically apparent central nervous system metastases * Patients with any other severe concurrent disease, which in the judgment of the investigator, would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this study * Decision of unsuitableness by principal investigator or physician-in-charge