Comparative Results of Thermo- and Chemoradiotherapy of Local Esophageal Cancer

The aim of the investigation is to study the short-range radiation effect of various techniques of nonsurgical treatment of esophageal cancer, and to assess the rate and the severity of their side effects.

Materials and Methods. There were analyzed the results of treatment of 106 patients with the II stage of esophageal cancer (T_2–3N₀M₀). The first group (n=31) underwent standard radiotherapy, in the 2nd group (n=25) treatment planning included simultaneous chemoradiotherapy, in the 3rd group (n=30) the radiation was combined with electromagnetic hyperthermia, and in the 4th one (n=20) there was combination of chemotherapy and hyperthermia.

Results. According to the planning the treatment was completed in 103 patients. In the group with thermoradiotherapy there was statistically significant increase of a number of complete remissions compared to the group with radiotherapy (p=0.038). Significant differences were also observed in comparing the results of radiotherapy and thermochemoradiotherapy (р=0.043). There were no significant differences between the groups of radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy by direct response criterion (р=0.078). In the group of patients who underwent chemoradiotherapy combined with local hyperthermia, there was one case of tracheoesophageal fistula. The main systemic side effect was leukopenia. Severe leukopenia was in 9.7% patients in the radiotherapy group, in 6.7% of patients in thermoradiotherapy group, and 16% of cases in chemoradiotherapy group.

The thermochemoradiotherapy group had the highest level of severe leukopenia (30%). The differences between this group and the rest ones turned out to be statistically significant (р=0.047).

Conclusion. Chemoradiotherapy and thermoradiotherapy of esophageal cancer have the same efficiency in the short-range radiation effect. The combination of chemoradiotherapy and regional hyperthermia causes side effects growth and their severity with no increase of objective tumour responses.

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Borisov V.А., Shinkaryov S.А., Ilyin N.V., Maslennikova A.V. Comparative Results of Thermo- and Chemoradiotherapy of Local Esophageal Cancer. Sovremennye tehnologii v medicine 2012; (2): 80