title: Results of radiation therapy for superficial esophageal cancer using the standard radiotherapy method recommended by the Japanese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JASTRO) Study Group.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Superficial esophageal cancer (SEC) is defined as esophageal cancer limited to the submucosal layers, including mucosal cancer and submucosal cancer, and is squamous cell carcinoma in most patients. In 2000, the Japanese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JASTRO) Study Group for SEC published a consensus guideline of standard radiotherapy methods. In this study, the interim treatment outcomes of SEC patients, who had received radiation therapy following the standard radiotherapy methods, were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2000 to 2003, a total of 141 SEC patients were treated in 24 institutions in Japan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates were 95%, 90% and 90%, respectively, for patients with mucosal cancer and 90%, 81% and 70%, respectively, for patients with submucosal cancer. The overall survival was better in patients who had undergone chemotherapy than in patients who had received radiation therapy alone, though the difference was not statistically significant. The clinical target volume (CTV) did not influence overall survival and intracavitary irradiation did not influence the local control rate in either patients with mucosal or submucosal cancer. Radiation-induced esophageal ulcer was not observed in this series.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The standard radiotherapy methods are safe and effective for treating SEC. However, the usefulness of chemotherapy and intracavitary irradiation and the optimal setting of the CTV should be clarified by future randomized trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1, Seiryo-machi, Aobaku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan. knemoto@rad.med.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Ryuta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sasamoto
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mitsuhashi
authors.forename: Kohtaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gomi
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanesaka
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamamura
authors.forename: Michihide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitsumori
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsujino
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takemoto
authors.forename: Nobue
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Michinori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shioyama
authors.forename: Kohichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ono
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil