Randomized clinical trial on seven-day-per-week continuous accelerated irradiation for patients with esophageal carcinoma: Preliminary report on tumor response and acute toxicity

Table 1 Patients’ characteristics

Characteristic	CAIR group	CR group	χ2or t	P
n	30	30
Gender			0.30	0.584
Male	19	21
Female	11	9
Age (yr)	66.0 ± 8.0	70.9 ± 9.4	1.781	0.083
Length (cm)	3-10	2-12
Average (cm)	5.5 ± 1.8	6.2 ± 3.1	0.962	0.342
Location			0.018	0.985
Upper-thoracic	4	6
Middle-thoracic	23	19
Lower-thoracic	3	5
Stage			1.920	0.089
I	0	2
II	17	12
III	13	16
WBC (× 109/L)	6.4 ± 1.9	6.1 ± 2.0	0.443	0.660
HGB (g/L)	138.4 ± 14.4	131.4 ± 17.1	1.411	0.166

Table 2 Tumor response to RT n (%)

Group	CR	PR	MR	NC	χ2	P
CAIR	8 (27.6)	16 (55.2)	4 (13.8)	1 (3.4)	4.08	0.047
CR	6 (20.7)	11 (37.9)	12 (41.4)	0

Table 3 Grade of acute reaction (RTOG) of esophagus and bronchus according to fractionation regimen n (%)

Groups	I	II	III	IV	Z	P
Esophagitis					0.855	0.376
CAIR	6 (20.7)	19 (65.5)	4 (13.8)	0
CR	11 (37.9)	13 (44.8)	5 (17.2)	0
Tracheitis					0.051	0.959
CAIR	14 (48.3)	10 (34.5)	5 (17.2)	0
CR	13 (44.8)	13 (44.8)	3 (10.4)	0