Radiation Therapy, Pemetrexed Disodium, and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer That Can Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal (GE) junction

No T1-2, N0, M0 disease

No palpable or biopsy-proven involvement of supraclavicular nodes or radiographically involved supraclavicular nodes (> 1.5 cm in greatest dimension) for lesions in mid-thoracic, distal thoracic, or GE junction

+ Supraclavicular node involvement allowed provided there are upper thoracic esophagus primary lesions

Patients with involvement of celiac nodes (stations 15-20) are eligible if the primary lesion is mid-thoracic, distal esophagus, or GE junction
No evidence of distant metastases

Tumor must be considered surgically resectable

- Patients with T4, N0 tumors that are potentially resectable are eligible

No clinically relevant pleural or peritoneal effusion that is not amenable to drainage

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2
Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
Absolute neutrophil count ≥1,500/mm^3
Platelet count ≥100,000/mm^3
Hemoglobin ≥10 g/dL
Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
AST ≤ 3 times ULN
Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min
No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure
Pregnant or nursing women are ineligible
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No uncontrolled infection
No other severe underlying disease that would preclude study entry
No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ
No prior sensitivity or allergic reaction to pemetrexed disodium or carboplatin
Able to swallow pills

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

No prior chemotherapy for esophageal cancer
No prior radiotherapy field that overlapped the anticipated fields of study radiotherapy
No prior radiotherapy to > 30% of the marrow cavity
Patients taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) must be able to discontinue use 2 days prior, during, and 2 days after pemetrexed disodium administration (5 days prior for long-life NSAIDs)
Patients must not have been receiving cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors at study entry and while receiving protocol therapy