ABSTRACT
Among 165 patients of esophagus cancer treated by either radiation alone or postoperative radiation, median survival period was 6.6 months, 16% 3 years and 8% 5 years crude survival in biphasic plotting of survival curve semilogarithmically all nonresponder died within one year regardless of treatments and in responder each 1, 2, 3 years survival rate was 80%, 70%, 60% in the group of postoperative radiation among 20 patients (54% of 37 patients) respectively and 62%, 38%, 23% each in the group of radiation alone among 61 patients (48% of 128 patients) respectively, better survival rate of postoperative radiation vs radiation alone in 3 year (p<0.01). The most common cause of death was dysphagia 55%, and majority of patients died by failure to control the disease locally 62%, 88% of stricture were associated with persistenece of cancer in esophagus. 50% of patients was found to have locoregional metastatic nodes. Preoperative diagnostic failure rate was for metastatic locoregional nodes was 54%, for grossly metastatic nodes 29.7%, for blood borne organ metastasis 13.5%, and for local extent of the disease 14%. The residual cancer at surgical margin on postitive node was not effectively killed by either 5000 to 5500 cgy conventional radiation or 5290 to 5750 cgy with 115 cgy fraction in 2 times daily; hyperfractionated radiation. However hyperfractionation schedule decreased the both acute and late complications in this study.