Abstract： Objective　To study the effective and feasible intraoperative radiation (IORT) for esophageal carcinoma. 　Methods　 From Dec. 1996 to Dec. 1999,thirty patients with esophageal carci noma underwent esophagectomy. Of them,29 were radically operated with two incisi ons and the rest with three. After resection,a special cone was inserted into th e thoracic cavity. The tumor bed and lymphatic regions were encompassed in the ir radiation portal. Electron beams from a linear accelerator were delivered and a single large dose of 20～25 Gy was given.Another group of 30 patients treated by esophageactomy without IORT during the s ame period served as control.　Results　 Up to the time of analysis,13 patients in the IORT goup have been alive over 2 years without any recurrence. The 2-year relapse-free survival rates for both groups are 100.0% and 77.7% of which the difference is statistically insignific ant (χ2＝1.45，P>0.10). The local control rate of the IORT group i s better and the difference of postoperative complications is also insi gnificant (P>0.05). Anastomotic leak was found in a intraoperati ve radiotherapy patient on the 9th day after surgery as slipping of the residual stomach into the field had been observed after completon of the intraoperativ e radiation.The patients recovered unevertfully after surgical repair. No radiation-induce d mediastin nitis,myelopathy or pneumonitis developed in patients who survived over 2 years. 　Conclusion　IORT,as one of the methods of combination treatment for esophageal carcinoma, is benefitial in local control. Its efficacy,being closely related to the sige of the dose and radiation field, warrants further investigation.