Definitive intensity-modulated radiotherapy compared with definitive conventional radiotherapy in cervical oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

• DOI: 10.1007/s11547-015-0510-8
• Publication Date: 2015-02-02T05:54:03Z
• Authors: Caineng Cao; Jingwei Luo; Li Gao; Guozhen Xu; Junlin Yi; Xiaodong Huang; Kai Wang; Shiping Zhang; Yuan Qu; Suyan Li; Jianping Xiao; Zhong Zhang
• Keywords: Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Male; Esophageal Neoplasms; Middle Aged; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Humans; Female; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; Neck; Aged

The authors compared definitive intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with definitive conventional radiotherapy (2D-RT) in cervical oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (CESCC).A total of 101 patients with CESCC treated with definitive radiotherapy from January 2001 to April 2012 were analysed. 37 patients were irradiated using 2D-RT, whereas 64 cases were treated using IMRT.The median follow-up time was 15.5 months for all the patients. For all patients, the overall 2-year local failure-free survival (LFFS), regional failure-free survival (RFFS), and overall survival (OS) rate was 67.4, 85.2 and 46.2%, respectively. The 2-year LFFS rate and the 2-year RFFS rate in the IMRT group were higher than the 2D-RT group, although no statistically significant difference was observed in LFFS and RFFS. No statistically significant difference was observed in overall survival (OS) between the groups. Compared with 2D-RT, the rate of grade 3 dysphagia after radiotherapy was lower (6.3 vs. 8.1%) and none had hypothyroidism requiring lifelong thyroxine replacement in the IMRT group. Matched-cases analysis did not show a statistical difference in terms of LFFS, RFFS and OS between the groups.Although no statistically significant difference was observed in OS, LFFS and RFFS between the IMRT group and the 2D-RT group, the incidence of late toxicity declined using IMRT, thereby resulting in an improved therapeutic ratio for patients with CESCC.