[Post-operative cobalt irradiation and chemotherapy in cancer of the oesophagus (author's transl)].

Oesophago-gastrectomy through combined abdominal and right thoracic incision was performed on 271 patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the thoracic oesophagus. The overall post-operative mortality rate of 16.6% dropped to 4.8% during the last 3 years. The global survival rate at 5 years was 9.3% but could be as high as 28% in patients with good prospects of cure. At the moment, the resectability rate is 74% and the "curability index" approximately 27%. The authors emphasize the need for a post-operative medical treatment capable of improving upon the results obtained with surgery. After reviewing the benefits provided by various therapeutic measures, they have adopted a treatment combining cobalt irradiation and chemotherapy. The results over a period of 2 1/2 years and in a limited number of cases appear to be encouraging.