[Radiotherapy of esophageal cancer--indications, methods and attainable results]

From 1965-1985, in the Department of Radiotherapy of the University Hospital of Freiburg 226 patients with esophageal carcinoma have been treated with primary radiotherapy at a sufficient tumor dose - 138 of them with curative and 66 patients with palliative intention. With curative irradiation the survival rates between 1 at 5 years were 28.6%, 14.1%, 8.2%, 5.8% and 3.5%. To palliative indication the 1 year survival rate was 10.4%, none of these patients reached the two years' limit. Apparently relevant prognostic factors are: length of history, overall state of health, histologic classification, tumor stage, state of clinical remission, localization of the tumor. Our findings were compared with observations between 1965 and 1985. This paper deals with the problems of pre- and post-therapeutic irradiation, in combination with chemotherapy. Indications for radiotherapy, definition of the target volume and the different techniques of radiation planning and performance are discussed, especially with reference to comparison of stimulator- and CT-assisted radiation planning. We demonstrate the possibilities of rotation therapy with an electronically controlled diaphragm device developed in our department.