A clinical study of combination of radiotherapy and IP regimen in the treatment of patients with local advanced esophageal cancer

Objective The aim of this study was to study the clinical efficacy and toxicity of combination of the radiotherapy and IP regimen for patients with local advanced esophageal cancer. Methods Sixty-eight cases of local advanced esophageal cancer were randomized into two groups, simple irradiation group (control group, n = 33) receiving conventional radiotherapy to a total of 60 Gy, combined group (research group, n = 35) which received the same radiotherapy as simple irradiation group plus chemotherapy with IP regimen, patients in research group were treated with infusion of Irinotecan 65 mg/m 2 and DDP 30 mg/m 2 on days 1 and 8. Twenty-one days was a cycle and 4 cycles were given. Results The remission rate, one and two year disease-free survival rate in research group were significant higher than it in control group. But the incidence of nausea, vomiting, myelosuppression and diarrhea was higher in research group. Conclusion The efficacy of concomitant radiotherapy and IP regimen for local advanced esophageal cancer is obviously and it can improve the survival rate of patients, which worthy of clinical application.