Radiation Therapy for Cancer of the Oesophagus and Pancreas

Radiation therapy is increasingly utilised in the management of oesophageal cancer, both in the definitive and adjuvant setting. While surgery has been the mainstay of curative treatment in early and locally advanced oesophageal cancers, 20-30% of patients have microscopically positive resection margins (R1), contributing in part to 5 year survival rates rarely exceeding 40% in surgical series [1]. As a result, there has been increasing interest recently in the use of radiation as part of neo-adjuvant therapy to improve outcomes. Radiation remains the mainstay of non surgical curative treatment for those who do not undergo surgery for reasons of being medically inoperable, locally advanced disease or from patient choice [2]. Emma Mathews*, Caitlin Bowden, Owen Nicholas, Ricky Frazer and Sarah Gwynne South West Wales Cancer Centre, Singleton Hospital, Swansea, UK *Corresponding author: Emma Mathews, South West Wales Cancer Centre, Singleton Hospital, Swansea, UK, Email: [email protected]