Radiation Therapy + Combination Chemotherapy as 1st-Line Therapy for Patients With Inoperable Esophageal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically proven adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or adenosquamous carcinoma of the esophagus * Locally advanced disease (any T, N0 or N1, M0 or M1a) * No metastatic disease, except for tumor involvement of the upper third of the esophagus or cervical esophageal tumor with regional nodes, or tumor involvement of the lower third of the esophagus with celiac nodes (M1a) * Cervical primary tumor with positive supraclavicular or cervical lymph nodes (defined as N1) allowed * No radiographic evidence of enlarged (≥ 1.5 cm) celiac lymph nodes by CT scan or echography * No small cell or undifferentiated carcinoma of the esophagus * No multiple carcinomas of the esophagus (i.e., \> 1 esophageal tumor) * No cardia tumor (Siewert II) or gastric tumor extension to the esophagus (Siewert III) * Esophageal tumor extension to the cardia (Siewert I) (center of the tumor lying \> 1 cm-5 cm above gastroesophageal junction) allowed * Inoperable disease OR surgery is contraindicated * No tracheo-esophageal fistula or invasion of the tracheo-bronchial tree PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy ≥ 3 months * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed) * Creatinine \< 15 mg/L * Total bilirubin \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT and AST \< 2.5 times ULN * Prothrombin time ≥ 60% * Not pregnant or nursing * Ferti…