Radiotherapy of esophageal cancer treated with high-dose-rate intracavitary irradiation following external irradiation

During the period May 1980 through December 1986, 92 patients with esophageal cancer were treated with high-dose-rate intracavitary irradiation subsequent to external irradiation at the Department of Radiology, Hospital of Hyogo College of Medicine. For 46 patients with stage I or II disease, post-radiotherapy esophagogram or esophagoscopy showed a 48% complete response (CR) rate and a 38% partial response (PR) rate; median survival was 13 months, 2-year survival was 39%, and 5-year survival was 16%. For the other 46 patients with stage III or IV disease, CR was 9% and PR was 65%. Median survival was 8.5 months, and 2-year survival was 7%. Statistics for 82 deceased patients showed that the major causes of death after high-dose-rate intracavitary irradiation subsequent to external irradiation, were local recurrence and/or metastasis. In patients with stage I or II disease, 13 patients with local recurrence died within 2 years, and 8 out of 11 patients with metastasis died within 2 years. In patients with stage III or IV disease, 20 patients with local recurrence died within 1 year, and 13 out of 17 patients with metastasis died within 1 year. (author)