**Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer**

**Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.70096

Ivan M. Buzurovic, Borbala Daroczi, Desmond A. O'Farrell, Mandar S. Bhagwat and Phillip M. Devlin Desmond A. O'Farrell, Mandar S. Bhagwat and Phillip M. Devlin Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.70096

Ivan M. Buzurovic, Borbala Daroczi,

#### **Abstract**

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Esophageal cancer develops in the mucosa of the esophagus and spreads toward the muscle layer. The nonsurgical treatment for localized, deeply invasive esophageal cancer has been external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and concurrent chemotherapy. Recently, intraluminal brachytherapy showed a strong potential for the improvement of the therapeutic ratio. It was found that the fractionated high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy offered beneficial palliation for a longer period of time with more durable symptom control. A similar was concluded for advanced unresectable esophageal cancer in previously irradiated patients. HDR brachytherapy may be a useful salvage treatment option for inoperable patients diagnosed with local esophageal cancer. Although better local control can be achieved with higher brachytherapy dose, this increases the risk of acute morbidity and late morbidity, especially in the setting of recurrence cancer. It was found that the moderate dose of EBRT and HDR brachytherapy could give a better local response than EBRT alone.

**Keywords:** esophageal cancer, radiation therapy, brachytherapy
