title: Efficacy of intraoperative radiotherapy targeted to the abdominal lymph node area in patients with esophageal carcinoma.
abstract: We investigated whether intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) during curative surgery for esophageal carcinoma is useful or not. The cases of 117 patients diagnosed with thoracoabdominal esophageal carcinoma who underwent curative surgery between 1986 and 2007 were reviewed: 72 patients received IORT (IORT group) and 45 did not (non-IORT group). Upper abdominal lymphadenectomy was performed in 115 patients (98.5%). Seventy patients (59.8%) received chemotherapy and 80 patients (68.4%) received external radiotherapy. IORT encompassed the upper abdominal lymph node area. A single-fraction dose of 20-30 Gy was delivered using high-energy electrons. Median follow-up duration for patients was 7.4 years. The 5-year overall survival rate did not significantly differ between the IORT and non-IORT groups. However, the 5-year abdominal control rate was significantly higher in the IORT group (89.2%) than in the non-IORT group (72.9%; P = 0.022). We next focused on a patient subgroup with a primary lesion in the lower thoracic or abdominal esophagus or measuring >6 cm in length since this subgroup is probably at high risk of upper abdominal lymph node metastasis. Of the 117 patients, 75 belonged to this subgroup, and among them 45 received IORT. Both univariate and multivariate analysis revealed the survival rate was significantly higher in patients who received IORT than in those who did not (P = 0.033 univariate; 0.026 multivariate). There were no obvious perioperative complications solely attributed to IORT. IORT for esophageal carcinoma will likely be effective for patients with a primary lesion in the lower thoracic or abdominal esophagus, or with a long lesion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe city, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan. ytamaki0825@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yukihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: Ryohei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ejima
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Negoro
authors.forename: Toshifumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: Kazuro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimura
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000528:radiation effects; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000601:surgery*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome