Onkologie. 2016:10(1):38-40 | DOI: 10.36290/xon.2016.009

Brachytherapy of inoperable esophageal carcinoma

David Buka¹, Josef Dvořák², Jiří Petera¹, Linda Kašaová¹, Jana Bedrošová¹, Milan Zouhar¹, Petr Paluska¹, Igor Sirák¹, Igor Richter³, Milan Vošmik¹, Zdeněk Zoul¹

¹ Klinika onkologie a radioterapie LF UK a FN Hradec Králové

² Onkologická klinika 1. LF UK a Thomayerovy nemocnice, Praha

³ Oddělení klinické onkologie, Krajská nemocnice Liberec, a.s.

Background and purpose: The prognosis of inoperable carcinomas of esophagus is poor, and therapeutic efforts are generally

limited to palliation. The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness of intraluminal high dose rate brachytherapy

in the palliative treatment of tumorous esophageal stenoses.

Patients and methods: Between February 1996 and June 2011 intraluminal brachytherapy was performed in 41 patients with

esophageal carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma in 19 cases and adenocarcinoma in 22 cases). All patients had dysphagia at

presentation. Brachytherapy was performed using high dose rate afterloading system.

Results: Dysphagia was improved in majority of patients. The median survival was 396 days (95 % CI: 270–492 days). No mechanical

complication was observed during introduction of the applicator.

Conclusion: Our experience indicates that intraluminal brachytherapy is an effective and safe method of palliation of dysphagia

caused by malignant esophageal stenosis.

Keywords: esophageal carcinoma, intraluminal brachytherapy, high dose rate, tumour esophageal stenosis, dysphagia

Published: March 1, 2016  Show citation