Purpose: To describe patient characteristics and the process of radiotherapy (RT) for patients with esophageal cancer treated between 1999 and 2001 in Japan.
Methods and materials: The Japanese Patterns of Care Study (PCS) Working Group conducted a third nationwide survey of 76 institutions. Detailed information was accumulated on 621 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who received RT.
Results: The median age of patients was 68 years. Eighty-eight percent were male, and 12% were female. Ninety-nine percent had squamous cell carcinoma histology. Fifty-five percent had the main lesion in the middle thoracic esophagus. Fourteen percent had clinical Stage 0-I disease, 32% had Stage IIA-IIB, 43% had Stage III, and 10% had Stage IV disease. Chemotherapy was given to 63% of patients; 39% received definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) without surgery and 24% pre- or postoperative CRT. Sixty-two percent of the patients aged > or =75 years were treated with RT only. Median total dose of external RT was 60 Gy for definitive CRT patients, 60 Gy for RT alone, and 40 Gy for preoperative CRT.
Conclusions: This PCS describes general aspects of RT for esophageal cancer in Japan. Squamous cell carcinoma accounted for the majority of patients. The standard total external RT dose for esophageal cancer was higher in Japan than in the United States. Chemoradiotherapy had become common for esophageal cancer treatment, but patients aged > or =75 years were more likely to be treated by RT only.