Esophageal ulceration induced by intracavitary irradiation for esophageal carcinoma

Twenty-two patients with esophageal carcinoma had no local recurrence after external and intracavitary radiation treatment, but all developed ulcers in the field of intracavitary irradiation. Ten were linear ulcers that appeared 3-12 months after radiation treatment (mean, 5.3 months); the other 12 were the long circumferential type and appeared 1-8 months after irradiation (mean, 3.7 months). Esophagobronchial fistulae developed in two cases in which deep ulcer had been found between the completion of external irradiation and the beginning of intracavitary irradiation. In these cases with deep ulcer, intracavitary irradiation should not be done. For patients receiving intracavitary radiation, the total dosage should be less than 20 Gy.