BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus is still a difficult tumor to treat with very poor prognosis. AIM: To compare the response to teletherapy treatment (external beam radiotherapy) alone versus teletherapy combined with brachytherapy for patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. METHODS: Were studied 49 patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus on clinical stage III (TNM-1999). They were separated into two groups. The first, underwent radiation therapy alone with linear accelerator of particles, average dose of 6000 cGy and the second to external beam radiation therapy at a dose of 5040 cGy combined with brachytherapy with Iridium 192 at a dose of 1500 cGy. Brachytherapy started one to two weeks after the end of teletherapy, and it was divided into three weekly applications of 500 cGy. Age, gender, race, habits (smoking and drinking), body mass index (BMI), complications with treatment benefits (pain relief and food satisfaction) and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: The quality of life (food satisfaction, and pain palliation of dysphagia) were better in the group treated with external beam radiation therapy combined with brachytherapy. Survival was higher in the brachytherapy combined with external beam radiation therapy alone. CONCLUSION: Although the cure rate of squamous cell cancer of the esophagus is almost nil when treated with irradiation alone, this therapy is a form of palliative treatment for most patients in whom surgical contraindication exists.
Esophageal neoplasm; Esophagus; Radiotherapy; Brachytherapy
