Carcinoma of the cervical esophagus treated with radiation therapy

This is an analysis of 34 patients with carcinoma of the cervical esophagus treated with radiation therapy with curative intent at the University of Florida between September 1966 and May 1985. All patients have a minimum 2-year follow-up and 28 (82%) have at least 5 years of follow-up. Patients were staged according to the recommendations of the AJCC. Patients who died within 2 years of treatment with the primary site continuously disease-free were excluded from the local control analysis; all patients were included in the analysis of complications and survival. Irradiation resulted in control of the primary lesion in 1 of 2 patients who presented with T1 lesions, in 4 of the 12 patients with T2 lesions, and 3 of 17 patients who presented with T3 lesions. One patient with a T3 lesion that recurred locally was successfully salvaged by an operation. The 5-year absolute survival rates by stage were as follows: no patients with stage I lesions survived; of 11 stage II patients, one survived; and of 16 stage III patients, three survived. Interestingly, all four of the 5-year survivors were women.