The clinical results
presented for IORT treatment are taken from data published in
medical journals or presented at medical and scientific meetings.
IORT is always given as part of a comprehensive treatment approach
that may also involve additional pre-operative or post-operative
radiation therapy or chemotherapy. The appropriate additional
therapy that might be required depends on the stage and extent
of the disease and is a medical decision that should be made in
consultation with a physician.
Go
here for a printable version of this page.
Cancer of the esophagus is relatively uncommon in the U.S. and, while treatable, is very difficult to cure [1]. The accepted primary therapies are surgery or radiation therapy with chemotherapy [2,3]. Combined modalities such as chemotherapy plus surgery or radiation therapy and chemotherapy plus surgery, are being evaluated [4,5]. Because the cancer characteristically spreads to regional lymph nodes, an attempt is often made to remove them surgically. Total lymph node dissection, however, comes with a high risk of undesirable side effects such as nerve palsy and resulting pulmonary disorders. IORT, when combined with modified, more conservative surgical approaches, has been shown to reduce tumor recurrence and the complications resulting from extensive lymph node surgery [6].
|
 |
|||||||
|
|
|
