ENDOLUMINAL HIGH-DOSE-RATE BRACHYTHERAPY WITH A PALLIATIVE AIM IN ESOPHAGEAL CANCER - PRELIMINARY-RESULTS AT THE INSTITUT-GUSTAVE-ROUSSY

Ten patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma were treated with endo luminal high-dose-rate brachytherapy at the Institut Gustave Roussy, E ight of them had recurrences after external beam radiotherapy, They we re treated with a high-dose rate iridium-192 source, Five patients rec eived 6 sessions of 4 Gy, 4 patients 3 sessions of 4 Gy, and 1 patient received 3 sessions of 8 Gy, The interval time between each session w as 1 week. Seventy percent of patients improved their dysphagia, with 80% endoscopic tumor response, The Karnofsky index was improved in mos t of the patients, The mean survival was 4 months, and dysphagia-free survival was 2.5 months. Two patients had treatment toxicity but only a transitory WHO G1 esophagitis, Endoesophageal high-dose-rate curieth erapy seems an effective technique in palliative treatments. We found low toxicity and an excellent tolerance to treatment in previously irr adiated patients, The efficacy of the treatment is highly dependent on a precise tumor volume evaluation.