Low-dose rate telecobalt therapy as a boost against esophageal carcinomas.

The results of treating 54 esophageal carcinomas with low-dose rate telecobalt therapy (LDRT) as a boost were compared with those of treating 97 esophageal carcinomas with conventionally fractionated irradiation alone (CFI). The LDRT (100 cGy/hr, 500 to 700 cGy/day, a total dose of 1400 to 2000 cGy) was boosted at 10 days after 6000 cGy of the CFI dose. Although the LDRT group included more advanced cases than the CFI group, local effects and survival rates in the former group were slightly better than in the latter group. Late complications were more severe in the LDRT group. However, they were acceptable when the total dose administered to this group was less than 8000 cGy. Using LDRT as a boost against esophageal carcinomas was found to be satisfactory therapeutically.