Relationship between the radiologic features of esophageal cancer and the local control by radiation therapy.
In order to predict the possibility of local control of esophageal cancer by radiation therapy, the relationship between the x-ray findings before and after irradiation and the histologic radiation effect obtained from the surgically resected esophagus was analyzed in 130 cases irradiated preoperatively during the period 1971 through 1980. In the superficial or proliferative type in x-ray image before treatment, the local control was obtained in 46.5% of the cases with the dose of 40 Gy, whereas in the ulcerative or infiltrative type, in 21.8%. The barium examination performed after irradiation was more useful to evaluate the radiation effect than that before treatment. In cases with a marked radiation effect after irradiation, the frequency of local control reached 76.9%. On the other hand, the local control remained 11.9% in cases with no or poor radiation effect. The results obtained by the preoperatively irradiated cases were applied to the analysis of 119 cases irradiated radically during the period 1965 to 1980. Almost the same results were also acquired in radically irradiated cases. The degree of radiologic and histologic radiation effect on the primary tumor was closely related to the long-term survival rate of the patient.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011859:Radiography; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D013997:Time Factors