ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the prediction value of the modified clinical staging standard of GTV volume on non-surgical treatment esophageal carcinoma by analyzing the GTV volume of esophageal carcinoma and the invasion degree of structures and surrounding organs as the T stage standard.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 701 esophageal cancer patients treated by definitive radiotherapy from Jan.2006 to Dec.2012.After grouping and analysis by the previous GTV volume staging standards, we put forward the idea that considering effects of invasion degree of structures and surrounding organs of tumor on the basis of GTV volume when it came to T stage, which would be re-classified by downgrading and reevaluation of survival and prognosis.Results There was no significant survival differences between T3 and T4 on previous GTV volume staging standards (P ＞ 0.05), and also had shown an inconspicuous survival difference between stage Ⅲ and stage Ⅳ when combined with three-group N stage(P ＞ 0.05).We had modified the T stage standards of GTV volume: Based on different size of GTV volume, and in consideration of the invasion of adjacent structures and organs, new T stages had shown good separation on a corresponding survival curve(x2 =59.702 ,P ＜0.05).In clinical TNM staging which combined with the new T stage and three-group N stages, the 701 patients were divided into stage Ⅰ , Ⅱ , Ⅲ and Ⅳ, with corresponding 5-year survival rates of 33.5％ , 26.3％ , 13.4％ , 9.2％ , respectively, which strongly revealing significant differences of survival rates (x2 =82.577, P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The new T staging standard, which combined GTV volume with invasion degree of adjacent structures and organs, could accurately predict the prognosis of patients with radical radiotherapy of esophageal carcinoma.