Catheter chemotherapy plus radiotherapy or X knife in treatment of esophagus cancer

AIM To compare the therapeutic effect of catheter chemotherapy plus radiotherapy or X knife on esophagus cancer. METHODS Advanced esophagus cancer patients were treated with catheter chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (group A, n =30), or treated by X knife (group B, n =30). Before, during and after the treatment, X ray film of esophagus with swallowing barium filling and mucosa image was taken to follow up the therapeutic effect. RESULTS After the treatment the general survival rate of group A was 73 0%,44 3% and 27 3% respectively for the first, third and fifth year. Because the X knife was only used for two years and two months, except one patient who died of esophagus tracheal fistula, the others are still being observed so far. The therapeutic efficiency was related to the duration of the esophagus cancer, X ray classification, pathologic classification and the metatasis. The esophageal stenosis rate of the group B was significantly higher than that of group A. By X ray film aralysis and esophagus barium meal examination the changes of the late esophagus cancer before and after treatment could be one of the standards for prognosis. CONCLUSION In the treatment of esophagus cancer, the catheter chemotherapy plus radiotherapy are more effective than the X knife treatment, and the stenosis rate caused by X knife was significantly higher than the former.