The unrewarding results of curative therapy in esophageal cancer

The mortality from carcinoma of the esophagus in the non-white male population of the metropolitan Washington, DC, area is probably the highest in the United States. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicates a mortality figure of 27.9/100,000 for the period 1969-1971.(1) Between 1971 and 1976, 114 patients were seen at Howard University Hospital with the diagnosis of carcinoma of the esophagus, of which only 48 were suitable for definitive therapy. All patients were black. The male/female ratio was 4 to 1. Postoperative irradiation appeared to confer benefit on surgically respected patients. In this selected group of patients, treatment had little influence on the natural history of the disease and the adjusted direct five-year survival was 2.1 percent.(*)