Seventeen patients with inoperable locoregional disease (epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus) were treated only with two courses of intermediate-dose methotrexate (200 mg/m2 on day 1) and cisplatin (20 mg/m2/d for 5 days). According to the response criteria, 14 (82.4%) achieved a good response (GR) and 3 (17.6%) showed no response (NR). The median recurrence-free survival time was 5 months (range, 2 to 16 months) in seven patients with regular follow-up. Three patients are still alive and disease-free at 37+, 44+, and 51+ months. No patient received radiotherapy or surgery after chemotherapy until recurrence. This combination schedule appears to be effective in advanced esophageal carcinoma.