Epirubicin, cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (ECF) versus docetaxel, cisplatin with 5-fluorouracil (DCF) therapy as a regimen for locally further inoperable or metastatic esophageal and gastric cancer

This study investigated the efficacy of two chemotherapeutic regimens, which ECF stands for Epirubicin, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil. DCF stands for docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5- fluorouracil. Their efforts on quality of life in patients with developed esophageal cancer. The research investigated the mechanism of action of these drugs: Epirubicin inhibits DNA replication by inhibiting topoisomerase II and generating free radicals, cisplatin induces DNA cross-linking to trigger apoptosis, and 5-fluorouracil disrupts nucleotide metabolism to inhibit DNA synthesis. This study included 65 patients divided into ECF and DCF treatment groups. The results showed that while both treatment regimens were effective, the DCF regimen resulted in greater improvements in the quality of life and overall functioning of the patients, especially after multiple cycles of treatment. Despite a higher incidence of certain toxicities, DCF has a higher overall response rate and improvements in survival and overall survival without progression. Restrictions of the study include a small sample size and a short duration of QOL assessment. The findings suggest that DCF may be a more favorable 1st line therapy for the therapy of further esophageal cancer, necessitating larger studies and longer follow-ups.