Abstract: Objective: To investigate the result, toxic effect and complication of accelerated hyper-fractionation radiotherapy for elderly patients with esophageal carcinoma. Methods: From December 1990 to July 1992, 96 cases with esophageal carcinoma were enrolled in the study. They were dividedinto two groups by stratified randomization as follow: a) The patients in the conventional fractionation group (CF) received routine radiotherapy 60-70Gy/(30-35fx) and b) those in the group of continuously accelerated fractionation radiotherapy (CAF) received 54Gy/3.5w, 2fx/d. The same Cobalt 60 radiother-apy was used in both groups. Results: The radiation treatments were able to be complicated without any break. The survival rate of 1, 3 and 5 in the CF group was 45.8% (22/48), 18.8%(9/48) and 12.5% (6/48), and was 70.8% (34/48), 39.6% (19/48) and 29.2% (14/48) in the CAF group, respectively. The toxic effects were mainly radiation esophagitis and radiation tracheitis, but there was no significant dif-ference. The early complications were mainly esophageal bleeding and esophageal fistula, and the later complication were mainly esophageal stenosis, haemoptysis and continuous cough, but there was no sig-nificant difference, too. Conclusions: CAF can be tolerated by most patients with esophageal carcino-ma; the toxic effect and complication of CAF are more severe than that of CF, but there is no significant difference.