PALLIATION OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER: Palliative external beam radiation therapy and combined modality therapy

Dysphagia is a common symptom in esophageal cancer. In both the curative and non-curative settings, palliation of dysphagia is an important endpoint. The major weakness of the series examining the impact of radiation therapy on palliation is that they are retrospective and most do not use objective criteria to define and assess dysphagia. Overall, external beam radiation therapy, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, offers palliation of dysphagia in approximately 80% of patients with half having palliation until the time of death. In modem series, although radiation-induced benign strictures are seen in 12-30% of patients, dilatation palliates the majority of them. Radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy, is a very effective palliative modality in esophageal cancer.