Application of brachytherapy in the treatment of esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer is a common digestive system tumor. Surgery and radiotherapy are the most important radical treatment options for esophageal cancer. Radiotherapy has good curative effects for all stages of esophageal cancer, and external beam radiotherapy is the main method. Brachytherapy (BT), as a branch of radiotherapy, plays an auxiliary role in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Since the esophagus is the natural lumen of human body, intracavitary BT is used to treat local esophageal tumors; interstitial BT is used to treat recurrent metastatic lesions. This paper reviews the application of BT in the treatment of esophageal cancer from the aspects of technique, source applicator, target area delineation and dosage regimen.