[Efficacy of Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer with Bone Metastases]

We retrospectively considered the validity of radiotherapy for patients with bone metastases from esophageal cancer. Eight patients have received radiotherapy in our hospital since 2007. The median age of the patients was 63 years, with 5 men and 3 women. Bone metastatic sites were 4 to the vertebrae, 3 to the ribs, 3 to the femur and 1 each to the humerus, ulna, and radius, respectively. All of the patients had other unresectable sites of metastasis. Radiotherapy reduced pain of 3 patients of PS 1 clearly. Median survival time from the start of radiation therapy was 50 days. When PS was relatively good, the possibility of easing pain and improving QOL was suggested by our data. There is a possibility that radiation therapy for patients with bone metastases from esophageal cancer can improve the QOL and alleviate pain.