[A method for the combined treatment of cancer of the esophagus and cardia by using intensive preoperative gamma teletherapy and intracavity hyperthermia].

Local intracavitary hyperthermia and simultaneous intensive-concentrated irradiation were used in 23 patients with esophageal cancer and 64 cases of cardioesophageal malignancy prior to surgery. The procedure for thermometry is described. Hyperthermia was carried out after the second and fifth (out of six) radiation fractions, thermotolerability being taken into account. Complete and partial response rate was 72.7% in the study group compared to 56.5% in controls. The volume fraction of viable parenchyma dropped to 2.1 +/- 0.2% (16.6 +/- 1.5% in controls) whereas the injury index according to Lavnikova rose to 95.0% (58.7% in controls).