Carcinoma of the esophagus. Long-term results.

Between 1940 and 1967, we treated 609 patients with primary carcinoma of the esophagus by three different methods. In the first group of 170 patients, surgical resection predominated. In the next 166 patients, radiation therapy was used as the primary method. In a third group (135 patients) and a fourth group (138 patients), radiation therapy was followed by resection in the operable cases. After comparing the results of the three methods, we believe that radiation therapy followed by resection produces the best results. Moreover, this approach is justified by the discovery of residual carcinoma in most surgical specimens from patients who have had radiation therapy.