[Radiotherapy and chemotherapy of esophageal cancer]

Radiotherapy for esophageal cancer is an available modality as well as surgery. Since radiotherapy for esophageal cancer is generally used for those patients with inoperable extensive disease, radiotherapy alone is unsatisfactory. New methods of radiotherapy are intracavitary treatment, hyperfractionation etc. Combination chemotherapy, especially including CDDP, seems to be more effective than single agents. Radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy is used by many investigators in an attempt to improve both local control and the cure rate of esophageal cancer.