Management of carcinoma of the esophagus: the role of radiotherapy.

Overview

This is an analysis of treatment results over a 23-year period in 241 patients with carcinoma of the esophagus. The treatment for unresectable patients was external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) alone (mean dose 55 Gy) in 137 (57%) combined with brachytherapy (mean dose 50 + 40 Gy) in 46 (19%), and chemotherapy alone in 3 (1%) patients. In the 55 resectable patients, treatment was resection alone in 9 (4%), and combined with radiotherapy (mean dose 43 Gy) in 46 (19%) patients. The 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival for the 241 patients was 36, 15, and 5%, respectively (median 38 weeks). The 5-year survival was 18% for radiotherapy (RT)-surgery (S) patients, 11% for EBRT with brachytherapy, 2% for EBRT alone, and 0% for patients who had S alone, p less than 0.001. Survival correlated well with initial performance status, treatment, stage of disease, tumor size, radiation dose, and degree of response, p less than 0.001, but not with tumor location in the esophagus and patients' race and sex, p = 0.44. Serious complications occurred in 5 (2%) patients treated with RT alone and in 4 (7%) patients treated with S alone or combined with RT. The leading cause of death was persistent or recurrent tumor in the chest found in 39% patients.