| [ Summary ] |
Definitive radiotherapy, adjuvant therapy, prophylactic radiotherapy after endoscopic resection, and palliative radiotherapy are indicated for esophageal cancer. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is usually performed when the patient is in good general condition. However, late cardiopulmonary toxicity and complications of salvage therapy (salvage endoscopic resection and salvage surgery) for residual or recurrent tumor can occur after chemoradiotherapy. It is important to resolve these problems to improve treatment outcomes. The current status of radiotherapy for esophageal cancer, including the results of clinical trials in Japan, novel anticancer drugs, new radiation techniques (intensity‒modulated radiation therapy), and new radiation equipment (particle therapy) are discussed. |