Radiotherapy and chemotherapy for esophageal cancer have their own advantages and disadvantages. Radiotherapy is a local treatment and is effective for localized tumors in the esophagus; chemotherapy is a systemic treatment and is effective for patients who have metastases or micro-metastases. The standard treatment plan for esophageal cancer should be simultaneous radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The two regimens combine and complement each other, one focusing on local and the other on systemic, so as to control local tumor and prevent systemic metastasis. However, the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy at the same time will be superimposed, and nutritional therapy should be given at the same time to ensure the smooth implementation of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.