[Experience in treating esophageal carcinoma with multiple fractions per day (MFD)]

We have experienced treating 29 patients of esophageal carcinoma with multiple fractions per day (MFD) examined the effectiveness of this method. A dose of 2.0 Gy was delivered to the conventional field and 1.1, 1.15, or 1.2 Gy to the gross disease at 4- to 6- hour interval for 20 days, 4 days per week. The total tumor doses were 62, 63 or 64 Gy/40 f/5 w. The following results were obtained: 1) CR rates were 44.8% on barium examination and 55.2% by endoscopic evaluation; 2) the two-year actuarial, loco-control, and disease-free survival were 49.7%, 75.5%, and 52.3%, respectively; and, 3) the acute complications were tolerable, though esophageal stricture was found to have increased in patients treated with 64 Gy.