[Mediastinal involvement in cancers of the subglottis, hypopharynx and cervical esophagus]

In carcinoma of subglottis, hypopharynx, and cervical oesophagus there is a high risk of mediastinal involvement by continuous infiltration of lymphogeneous metastatic spread because of tight neighbourhood. In progress of the disease we saw mediastinal involvement in 46.2% of subglottic carcinoma (n = 26), and in 44.1% of hypopharyngeal carcinoma (n = 79). Stomal recurrence after laryngectomy or tumour invasion of the oesophagus appeared to signify regularly mediastinal involvement. We recommend high attentiveness to the caudal borderline resection, to aspire complete oesophagectomy in cases of oesophageal cancer, and to include mediastinum into postoperative radiation area.