Selective approach to the treatment of oesophageal cancer

Between September 1985 and December 1994, 322 patients with oesophageal cancer were treated. Of the 190 patients who underwent operation, 173 had an oesophageal resection; in 124 this was performed as an abdominothoracic resection and in 49 by the transhiatal approach. The assessment of radicality after histological examination revealed a curative (R0) resection in 121 patients (70 per cent) and a palliative (R1-R2) resection in 52 (30 per cent). Prognosis was correlated with the extent of mediastinal lymph node dissection. In 77 patients with stage pT1-3 pN0-1 pM0 the 5-year survival rate was 40 per cent after abdominothoracic resection with two-field lymph node dissection and zero after transhiatal resection (P = 0.01). The authors propose a differentiated surgical approach involving abdominothoracic resection with two-field lymph node dissection for patients with limited tumours (pT1-3 pN0-1 M0) if the operative risk is tolerable. Transhiatal resection appears to be effective only in patients with early tumours (Union Internacional Contra la Cancrum stage 0).