Short Course Radiation Therapy in Palliative Treatment of Esophageal Cancer

SHort Course Accelerated RadiatiON Therapy (SHARON) in Palliative Treatment of Esophageal Cancer: an Interventional, Randomized, Multicentric Study

Aim of the study is to assess efficacy of a short course radiation treatment in patients with symptomatic esophageal malignant lesions

Standard treatment for esophageal lesions (3000 cGy in 10 daily fractions of 300 cGy each) is compared with experimental treatment (2000 cGy in 4 fractions of 500 cGy twice a day) to demonstrate non-inferiority of this scheme

Inclusion Criteria:

• symptomatic esophageal malignant lesions (primary solid tumors or metastases from solid tumor);
• age>18 years;
• ECOG performance status 0-3
• no changes in supportive care in the week before radiotherapy

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnancy
• previous irradiation of the same region