Effects of an elemental diet to reduce adverse events in patients with esophageal cancer receiving docetaxel/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil: a phase III randomized controlled trial—EPOC 2 (JFMC49-1601-C5)

•Patients receiving docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) chemotherapy commonly develop oral mucositis (OM).•An elemental diet (ED) was able to prevent OM in patients with esophageal cancer receiving DCF.•Grade ≥2 OM was observed in 15% of patients receiving the ED versus 34% of those not receiving the ED (P = 0.0141).•Body weight was maintained in the ED group, and hematologic toxicities were lower, compared with the non-ED group.•The DCF completion rate significantly correlated with ED compliance (P = 0.0046).