[Radiotherapy treatment of esophageal carcinoma--analysis of 5-year survival]

Between 1966-1977, 250 patients with esophageal carcinoma were treated by radiotherapy alone. The 5-year survival rate was 10.4% (12 of 115) in the curative cases. 52 of 5-year survivors, including 40 cases from the literature, were analyzed according to age, sex and the extent, location and type of tumor. 37 patients (71.1%) were between 50 and 69 years of age. There were more female than male survivors. Patients whose esophagograms showed spiral-type tumor had a worse prognosis than other tumor types. 16 of the 52 (30.8%) patients had received intracavitary treatment. We posit that an additional boost dose by intracavitary techniques improves the local control of the primary lesion. Radiation-induced myelitis and carditis were noted in some patients.