Palliation of dysphagia in advanced, metastatic or recurrent carcinoma oesophagus with high dose rate intraluminal brachytherapy--an eastern Indian experience of 35 cases.

Oesophageal cancer, a disease with high morbidity and mortality, has a relatively high incidence in eastern India, usually presenting at advanced stage. The main aim of treatment for majority of patients remains palliation of dysphagia, which can be effectively done by intraluminal brachytherapy with or without external radiotherapy. Between January 2006 to January 2010 a total of 35 patients with advanced/metastatic (24/35) or recurrent (11/35) oesophageal carcinoma were treated with intraluminal high dose rate (HDR) iridium192 source brachytherapy at Medical College Hospitals, Kolkata. Selection for palliative brachytherapy includes one or more of the following criteria: Lesion more than 5 cm long on imaging studies or upper GI endoscopy, Karnofsky performance status < or = 50%, Locoregional recurrence. Palliative external radiotherapy (20 Gy/5# or 30 Gy/10#) was given to 11 patients (31.42%) before brachytherapy. All patients treated with 2 fractions of high dose rate-intraluminal brachytherapy (HDR-ILRT) one week apart with 600 cGy per fraction at 1 cm off axis. Thirty-five patients were treated with palliative HDR-ILRT. Significant improvement in swallowing status was seen in 20 patients (57.14%) since just after treatment up to 7.5 months. However, 9 patients (25.71%) showed no improvement, and 6 patients (17.14%) showed no changes in dysphagia scoring. Only 3 patients developed ulceration and 2 developed fistula immediately after treatment and 5 patients developed stricture. Median dysphagia-free survival was 6 months. Median overall survival was 8 months. It is concluded that intraluminal brachytherapy is an effective method for palliation of dysphagia for reasonably prolonged period.