[A report of 40 cases of esophageal carcinoma surviving for more than 5 years after treatment with drugs].

From August 1974 to January 1987, 650 cases of moderately and advanced esophageal carcinoma were treated with a combination of chemotherapy and Rabdosia rubescens or Rabdosia rubescens and/or tradition chinese medicinal prescription. After treatment, 40 patients survived for over 5 years (5-year survival rate 6.15%): 32 for over 6 years, 23 for more than 10 years, 5 for more than 15 years and 20 die of tumors (16 cases) or other diseases (4 cases). There were 20 patients who are still living and some of them have been living for more than 18 years. Analyzing the data, it is believed that the age, the state of activity, the length of illness, the effectiveness of primary treatment, the multi-course extensive therapy, long-term maintenance treatment, etc, are all important factors affecting the results of drug treatment.