Extended cancer-free survival after palliative chemoradiation for metastatic esophageal cancer.

We report on a patient who remained cancer-free for an extended time after palliative radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (nedaplatin plus 5-fluorouracil) treatment for stage IV (cT3N3M1) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Although multiple lymph nodes outside the RT field recurred, the local primary tumor within the RT field did not recur, even 17 mo after palliative RT of 30 Gy in 10 fractions. In this case, acute toxicity, such as myelosuppression or esophagitis, was not enhanced by increasing the fraction dose from 1.8-2.0 Gy to 3.0 Gy. Because 30 Gy in 10 fractions can be completed within a shorter time and is less expensive than 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions, we think that 30 Gy without oblique beams is a more favorable RT method for patients.