Bleomycin and radiotherapy in nonresectable thoracic oesophageal carcinoma

The survival rates of nonresectable thoracic oesophageal carcinoma patients were studied in 50 patients treated by radiotherapy and by a combination of radiotherapy and bleomycin. The patients of two series were very similar. The one-year survival rates were 21 and 10 per cent, in radiotherapy and in radiotherapy with bleomycin group, respectively. In the literature, there were only few reports from survival figures of patients with oesophageal carcinoma treated with bleomycin in combination with radiotherapy. The authors concluded that the combination of bleomycin and radiotherapy has very limited effect on advanced oesophageal carcinoma. The survival rate after this combination therapy is not better with radiotherapy alone, if bleomycin and radiotherapy are used with reduced doses and without severe complications.