Carcinoma of the cervical esophagus: changing therapeutic trends

Carcinoma of the cervical esophagus is a lethal tumor because of its advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. The records of 71 patients with this disease treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1965 through 1980 have been reviewed herein. Epidermoid carcinoma was the prevailing histologic finding, and extramural penetration was present in 77 percent of the evaluable patients. Tracheal invasion and vocal cord paralysis were noted in 35 and 24 percent of the patients, respectively and were predictive of significantly decreased survival. Primary radiotherapy in doses greater than 5,000 rads produced short lived responses in 13 of 21 patients (62 percent). Surgery was performed in 45 patients (63 percent), including 35 esophagectomies for cure and palliative procedures in the 10 other patients. There were five operative deaths (11 percent), but only two followed esophageal resection (5.6 percent). Locoregional treatment failure, present in 46 of 52 evaluable patients (88 percent) at last follow-up, continues to be a major problem. Overall, the 5 year survival rate was 9.6 percent. The longest survival and best palliation was achieved with aggressive resection and immediate reconstruction using the transposed stomach (gastric pullup).