What should I pay attention to after radiotherapy for esophageal cancer

After the radiotherapy for esophageal cancer patients is completed, the first thing to do is to ask the attending physician about the next treatment plan. The doctor will generally inform the patient or family members of the effects of radiotherapy and subsequent treatment plans.

Second, after radiotherapy, esophageal barium meal radiography is generally required to observe whether the lesion is under control. If the lesion is not under control, local dose increase can be considered, and the radiography results can be retained as a baseline film for comparison during future reexaminations.

Third, be alert to the occurrence of radiation mediastinitis. It is now recommended to accelerate the late course of radiotherapy for esophageal cancer. The reaction to radiotherapy in the late stage is often severe. Some patients gradually develop chest and back pain after the end of radiotherapy, which is most likely caused by radiation mediastinitis. At this time, antibiotics and appropriate amounts of hormones are needed to deal with the side effects of radiotherapy.

Fourth, regular check-ups. After radiotherapy, when the local disease is under control, regular check-ups are necessary, usually every 3 months within 2 years, every 6 months within 3-5 years, and once a year after 5 years. Check-ups include X-ray barium meal angiography, chest anteroposterior and lateral films, abdominal B-ultrasound, electrocardiogram, blood routine, etc., and gastroscopy and chest CT scans if necessary.

Fifth, no matter which hospital you go to for radiotherapy, when it is over, you must ask the doctor in charge to write a treatment summary, clearly stating the dose of each treatment, the number of radiotherapy sessions per week, the total amount of radiotherapy, the size of the irradiation field, the boundaries of the irradiation field, whether the radiotherapy went smoothly, what problems occurred during the radiotherapy, and how the doctor handled them, so as to facilitate reference during later treatment.