title: Successive radiation and surgical treatment of esophageal cancer.
abstract: On the basis of our extensive experience with radiation therapy, surgery, and combined therapy in the treatment of esophageal cancer, we substantiate a basis for giving irradiation followed by surgery. With the high efficacy of radiotherapy (RT), achieving tumor regression of more than 75% with a dose 40-50 Gy, it is expedient to continue RT using a radical programme. This may lead to full recovery without any surgical intervention. However, these patients must be followed-up. If tumor growth continues or if there appears a recurrence of tumor later, a radical operation must be performed (56 clinical cases). During the operation, extirpation of the esophagus with esophagoplasty, or its resection with a one-staged reconstruction with the gastrointestinal tract, is possible. The latter is preferred, as it not only increases the patients' life-span with comparatively low operative mortality, but results in full recovery of some patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Oncology, All-Union Cancer Research Center (AUCRC), Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, USSR.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Pirogov
authors.forename: Y N
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Krasnitsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000401:mortality; D004944:Esophagoplasty / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D013270:Stomach / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate