[Radiological and surgical treatment of cancer of the thoracic oesophagus: a report on 143 cases (author's transl)].

It would appear that pre-operative radiotherapy early in the treatment of oesophageal cancer has avoided in many cases (especially those in an advanced stage), the appearance of local recurrences, which cause death very rapidly during the first year in those patients having surgical treatment only. This treatment, however, which is only localized to the mediastinum, has not prevented the appearance of metastases at a later date. It is obvious, therefore, that though we have improved local prognosis by localized and regional treatment, and the association of radiotherapy and surgery, we have not been able to act on the residual cancerous disease, and something else is needed. This "something else" must be chemotherapy, but at the present time we do not know which product, at which dose, and at which moment, this chemotherapy should be applied to be most effective.