AIM:This retrospective study was designed to analyze theresults and the failure patterns of late course acceleratedhyperfractionated radiotherapy for clinical T_(1-2)N_0M_0esophageal carcinoma.METHODS:From Aug.1994 to Feb.2001,56 patients withclinical T_(1-2) esophageal carcinoma received late courseaccelerated hyperfractionated radiobherapy in Cancer Hospital,Fudan University.All patients had been histologically provento have squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and were diagnosedto be T_(1-2)N_0M_0 by CT scan.All patients were treated withconventional fTactionation (CF) irradiation during the first two-thirds course of the treatment to a dose of about 41.4Gy/23fx/4 to 5 weeks,Which was then followed by acceleratedhyperfractionation irradiation using reduced fields,twice dailyat 1.5Gy per fraction,to a dose about 27Gy/18 fx.Thus thetotal dose was 67-70Gy/40-43fx/40-49 d.RESULTS:The 1-,3- and 5-year overall survival was 90.9 %,54.6 %,47.8 % respectively.The 1-,3- and 5-year localcontrol rate was 90.9 %,84.5 % and 84.5 %,respectively.Twenty-five percent (14/56) patients had distant metastasisand/or lymph nodes metastasis alone.Eight point nine percent(5/56) patients had local disease alone.Another 3.6 % (2/56) patients had regional relapse and distant metastasis.CONCLUSION:Late course accelerated hyperfractionatedradiotherapy is effective on clinical T_(1-2) esophageal carcinoma.The main failure pattern is distant metastasis. AIM: This retrospective study was designed to analyze the results and the failure patterns of late course accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy for clinical T_ (1-2) N_0M_esophageal carcinoma. METHODS: From Aug. 1994 to Feb. 2001, 56 patients with clinical T_ (1-2) esophageal carcinoma received late course accelerated hyperfractionated radiobherapy in Cancer Hospital, Fudan University. All patients had been histologically provento have squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and were diagnosed to be T 1-2 (1-2) N_0M_0 by CT scan. All patients were treated with conventional fTactionation (CF ) irradiation during the first two-thirds course of the treatment to a dose of about 41.4 Gy / 23fx / 4 to 5 weeks, Which was then followed by accelerated hyperfractionation irradiation using reduced fields, twice dailyat 1.5 Gy per fraction, to a dose about 27 Gy / 18 fx.Thus the total dose was 67-70 Gy / 40-43 fx / 40-49 d.RESULTS: The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival was 90.9%, 54.6%, 47.8% respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year localcontrol rate were 90.9%, 84.5% and 84.5%, respectively. Twenty-five percent (14/56) patients had distant metastasis and / or lymph node metastasis alone. Light point nine percent (5/56) patients had local disease alone. Another 3.6% (2/56) patients had regional relapse and distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: Late course accelerated hyperfractionatedradiotherapy is effective on clinical T_ (1-2) esophageal carcinoma. The main failure pattern is distant metastasis.