Prognosis comparison of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy/intensity modulated radiation therapy for esophageal carcinoma with localregional lymph node metastasis / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the prognosis and related factor of esophageal carcinoma with locoregional lymph node metastasis ( N1 ) treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) or intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).Methods From January 2001 to December 2008,60 patients of esophageal carcinoma with localregional lymph node metastasis were treated with 3DCRT and 52 with IMRT.For all patients,dose of tumor was 56 - 70 Gy/28 - 35 fraction/5.6 - 7.0 weeks.Among them,58 cases was treated with chemotherapy including cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil;40 with concurrent chemoradiotherapy and 18 with sequential radiotherapy and chemotherapy.Results After radiotherapy,the total efficiency rate was 98.2％,96.7％ in 3DCRT and 100％ in IMRT ( x2 =1.77,P =0.184 ).The follow-up rate was 99.1％.The number of patients completed follow-up were 68 and 53,respectively at 2-year and 3-year.The 1 and 3-year overall survival rates were 62.5％,23.7％,respectively; the median survival time was 17 months.The 1and 3-year survival rates and median were 52％,19％ and 12.4 months in 3DCRT and 75％,40％ and 17 months in IMRT,respectively (x2 =4.74,P =0.030).The 1 and 3-year free-recurrence survival rates were 64％,45％ in 3DCRT and 72％,59％ in IMRT ( x2 =2.27,P =0.132),respectively.With uninvariate analysis,for female,ages ≤ 65,tumor located in cervical and upper-thoracic,＞5 cm lesion length in barium esophagogram,≤4 cm the largest diameter of lesion in CT scanning image,T4 stage,or semiliquid or liquid diet before radiotherapy,survival rate were higher in IMRT than in 3DCRT group (x2 =4.63,5.56,7.19,5.08,4.43,4.48,8.25;P=0.031,0.018,0.007,0.025,0.035,0.034,0.004,respectively) ; but for male,ages ＞ 65,tumor located in middle and lower-thoracic,≤5 cm lesion length in barium esophagogram,＞4 cm the largest diameter of lesion in CT scanning image,T1 -3 stage,or normal diet before radiotherapy,chemotherapy and dose of radiotherapy ( ＜66 Gy vs ≥66 Gy),no significant difference were found between IMRT and 3DCRT (x2 =1.28,0.27,0.17,0.03,1.98,0.01,0.43,2.45,1.73,1.24,2.64;P=0.258,0.602,0.684,0.859,0.160,0.973,0.511,0.117,0.189,0.234,0.104,respectively).By Cox multivariable regression,only T stage was independent prognostic factor (x2=9.50,P =0.002 ).Conclusions There was some advantage treated with IMRT compared with 3DCRT in patients of esophageal cancer with locoregional lymph node metastasis,but further prospective clinical study is needed to support the conclusion.