目的：用姑息性腔內近接治療改善食道癌局部復發的吞嚥困難報告。材料與方法：自l996年1月兩名食道癌局部復發患者因吞嚥困難接受腔內近接治療，利用amicroSelectron-HDR afterloading device，Iridium-192射源與一特別為食道設計的導管來治療。第一例給予治療範圍是長度九公分，半徑是一公分，總劑量是2OOO cGy分10fractions，在兩周完成。第二例給予治療範圍是長度二公分，半徑是一公分，總劑量是OOOcGy分4 fractions，在十二日內完成。結果：第一例接受6 fraction後，已經可以喝流質實物，在兩周完成後，無急性副作用，不過患者在治療後第三個月因腫瘤出血及惡質體去世。第二例經近接治療後，患者感到吐口水少很多，生活品質有改善，無急性副作用，不過患者在治療後第二個月因肺炎及惡質體去世。此種治療能改善患者生活品質，且無明顯副作用，除了輕微食道炎。結論：腔內近接治療可以使曾接受體外放射治療而局部復發食道癌患者的吞嚥困難症狀獲得改善。

　　　　　Purpose: To report the result of palliative intracavitarybrachytherapy in recurrent esophageal cancer patient.Materials and Methods: Since January 1996, there were two recurrent esophagealcancer patients with symptoms of severe dysphasia who received intracavitarybrachytherapy as palliative treatment. The treatment were carried out by amicroSelectron-HDR afterloading device with Iridium-192 radiation source and aspecial catheter which was designed for esophageal applications. One patientwas treated by a treatment volume including the middle third of the esophagus,9 cm in length, the prescribed dose point was one cm in depth from the centralaxis of the source. The total treatment dose was 2000 cGy in 10 fractionswithin 2 weeks. The brachytherapy for another patient was arranged to coverthe upper part of the esophageal tumor with 2 cm in length and theprescribed dose point was one cm in depth. The total treatment dose was 2000cGy in 4 fractions within 12 days.Results: The symptoms of the first patient had improved after the first 5fractions of HDR treatments. He could eat liquid diet after this treatment butodynophagia occurred. Two months later, he expired due to tumor bleeding andcachexia. After 2 fractions of intracavitary brachytherapy, the second patientcould swallow some saliva, and the NG tube could be inserted more deeply. Hefelt better due to less production of saliva after treatment. He expired dueto pneumonia in two months. The purpose of improving quality of life couldbe reached via this kind of treatment without severe acute toxicity except forgrade one esophagitis.Conclusion: Palliative intracavitary brachytherapy can be a successfultreatment for relief of dysphagia for patients with recurrent esophagealcancer patients with previous external beam radiotherapy.