From 1979 to 1993, 151 patients with resectable oesophageal cancer underwent preoperative hyperthermo-chemo-radiotherapy (HCR) followed by a subtotal esophagectomy. All resected specimens were histopathologically evaluated, and then were classified into two groups according to the efficacy of the preoperative HCR. Group A included 33 patients whose resected oesophagus was free of any cancer cells (grade 3). Group B included 118 patients, in which viable cancer cells remained in the resected specimens to various degrees (grade 1,2). The incidence of patients with well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, node negative cases, or TNM stage I/II was significantly higher in group A than in group B (27.3% versus 9.3%, 72.7% versus 50.8%, 72.7% versus 50.8%, respectively). The recurrence rate was 33.3% (11/33) in group A, while it was 65.3% (77/118) in group B (p < 0.005). There was no case with any local recurrence in the former, while it was 8.5% (10/118) in the latter. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 87.2%, 65.9% and 46.1% in group A, while they were 54.8%, 26.7% and 18.8% in group B (p < 0.005), respectively. Preoperative HCR may be expected of decreasing in the recurrence rate, including regional relapse when a grade 3 is obtained. Complete local control would further positively influence the prognosis.