title: Radiotherapy of 180 cases of operable esophageal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the validity of radiotherapy and surgery for operable esophageal carcinoma in 180 patients with pathologically proven esophageal carcinoma who had been accepted for surgery, but for various reasons were given radical radiation therapy instead.
  
  
  METHODS
  The reasons for abandoning surgery were poor cardiac function (n = 21), poor pulmonary function (n = 36), poor general condition (n = 9), senility (age 69-81 years, n = 32), and refusal by the patient (n = 82). They were treated by the isocenter technique alone or anteroposterior plus isocenter irradiation at a total dose of 50-70 Gy/5-7 wk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 64%, 34%, and 23%, respectively. The 3- and 5-year survival rates showed that lesions in the upper third esophagus responded better than lesions in the middle and lower third (P < 0.05). The 5-year survival rate following radiation alone (44.5%) of upper third lesions was slightly better than that following surgery. The effect on lesions following radiation to middle third lesions was slightly inferior to that of surgery, and that for lower third lesions was even poorer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from radiation treatment alone for operable esophageal carcinoma are similar to that of surgery.
authors.affiliation: Dong-Fu Chen, Zong-Yi Yang, Wei-Bo Yin, Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 17, Panjia Yuan, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Dong-Fu Chen, Zong-Yi Yang, Wei-Bo Yin, Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 17, Panjia Yuan, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Dong-Fu Chen, Zong-Yi Yang, Wei-Bo Yin, Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 17, Panjia Yuan, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Yin
keywords: Esophageal neoplasms/radiation therapy; Esophageal neoplasms/surgery