[Thoracic esophageal cancer in a young adult]

A 34-year-old Japanese male was admitted to the Second Department of Surgery, Chiba University Hospital complaining of swallowing difficulties of three months duration. Radiological examination with barium swallowing revealed thoracic esophageal cancer, classified as EiEa, was 6cm long and of the serrated type. Preoperative combined therapy included Fast Neutron, Pepleomycin, Bestatin and hyperthermia. The operative procedure was total thoracic esophagectomy and ante-thoracic esophago-gastrostomy using the right thoracotomy approach plus laparotomy. Postoperative combined therapy included Linac irradiation and Cisplatin. His postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged without complications. The tumor was of ill-defined ulcerative type macroscopically; the pathological diagnosis was moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.