Clinical study of carmofour and 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for old patients with esophageal cancer

Objective:To study the efficacy and adverse effects of carmofour combined with radiotherapy in old patients with esophageal cancer.Methods: Total of 130 old patients with esophageal cancer were randomized into two groups: 65 patients treated by radiotherapy alone and another 65 patients by chemoradiotherapy.The schedules of radiotherapy in two group were 3-DCRT in conventional fractionation,total dose 64-66Gy for radiotherapy alone group and 60Gy for chemoradiotherapy group,and chemoradiotherapy group was given carmofour 150mg,t.i.d.Results: The survival rates at 1-,3-and 5-year were 58.5%,38.5% and 24.6% in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group,52.3%,23.1% and 10.8% in the radiotherapy alone group,respectively(P=0.033);and disease free survival rates at 1-,3-and 5-years were 52.3%,27.7%,15.4% and 47.7%,15.4%、3.1%(P=0.007);respectively,local recurrence in radiotherapy alone groups were 64.6% and 46.6% in chemoradiotherapy group(P=0.022).Acute toxicity in concurrent chemoradiotherapy group was higher than radiotherapy alone group,and later toxicity were similar in two group.Conclusion: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with camofour could increased overall survival and disease free survival for old patients with esophageal cancer,and acute toxicity are tolerable.