This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Surgery has been the standard of care for esophageal cancer for many years, with limited success (1). Many patients will have a recurrence of their cancer after this type of treatment. Recently, some studies have shown a possible benefit when chemotherapy or chemotherapy combined with radiation is given before surgery (2-5). This type of treatment has proven to be fairly well tolerated by patients. Although this treatment offers some possibility for improvement of outcome in patients with esophageal cancer, there remains a significant need for development of new drugs that can substantially improve survival. Investigators at the University of Michigan have been evaluating an agent that inhibits tumor angiogenesis (growth of blood vessels in the tumor) (6). Specifically, they are studying the role of copper in angiogenesis. Copper has been shown to be both a requirement and a strong stimulus for angiogenesis (7-9). If the level of copper in a patient can be reduced, it may be possible to decrease the blood supply to tumors, and therefore slow down or stop their growth (10-11). Tetrathiomolybdate (TM) is a pill which has been shown in previous studies to rapidly lower available copper levels in the blood. The physicians at the University of Michigan believe that the addition of TM to a regimen of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery may increase survival or prolong the period of time during which patients are cancer-free. This study will help doctors learn whether patients with esophageal cancer will respond to this treatment and, if so, how long the response will last.
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