A case of multiple advanced esophageal carcinomas with abdominal LN metastases showing complete response after chemoradiotherapy with concurrent cisplatin, 5-FU and adriamycin chemotherapy

We report the response of our new regimen of chemoradiotherapy for advanced esophageal carcinoma. The patient was a 66-year-old man who had double primary esophageal carcinomas: type o-IIc tumor of the cervical esophagus from the esophageal inlet to 23 cm from incisors and a 9 cm length type 3 tumor of the middle to lower thoracic esophagus with a 2 cm diameter cardiac lymph node metastasis. Since he completely rejected surgical treatment, new definitive chemoradiotherapy with 2 courses of FAP chemotherapy (cisplatin 50 mg/m2 and adriamycin 20 mg/m2 on day 1 and 5-FU 700 mg/day from day 1 to 5 continuously) concurrent with a split course of radiotherapy to a total dose of 60 Gy in 30 fractions was devised and administered. The treatment was completed and there was no severe toxicity except grade 3 leukocytopenia. Just after treatment, cervical tumor and cardiac lymph node reached complete response but stenosis and wall thickness remained in the thoracic tumor. Soon after, however, these findings improved and, at present 1 year later, complete response has continued. Our new regimen of chemoradiotherapy concurrent with FAP chemotherapy seems to be effective and promising for advanced esophageal carcinoma.     

胸段食管鳞癌淋巴结转移特点及临床意义

目的 了解胸段食管鳞癌淋巴结转移特点及对预后的影响,探讨合理的淋巴结清扫范围。方法 对２４３例单纯技术切除胸段食管鳞癌患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果 淋巴结转移率４５．３％,转移度１０．５％,表现为沿食管周上的上下“双向性”转移。影响淋巴结转移的因素为肿瘤浸润深度和肿瘤分化,肿瘤长度则影响不大。有淋巴结转移的患者５年生存率为１６．４％,明显低于无淋巴结转移患者的５１．９％（Ｐ〈０．０１）,。淋     

A successful resected case of advanced esophageal cancer with early gastric cancer responding to neoadjuvant chemotherapy of docetaxel, CDDP and 5-FU

A 72-year-old male with a chief complaint of dysphagia was admitted to our hospital. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination showed double cancers with thoracic esophageal cancer in the middle esophagus and gastric cancer in the antrum. Pathological examinations of the double cancer revealed the first one to be moderately-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and the second to be well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest and abdomen showed no distant or lymph node metastases. Clinical stagings of the double cancer were stage II (T2N0M0)in esophageal cancer and stage I A (T1N0M0) in gastric cancer. The patient received neoadjuvant chemotherapy using docetaxel, CDDP and 5-FU. After 2 courses of chemotherapy, the adverse event was grade 2 in leucopenia and grade 2 in alopecia. Repeated macroscopic and histological examinations after chemotherapy revealed that the esophageal cancer had significant reductions in the size of tumors, leading to a partial response, and the gastric cancer had disappeared, leading to a complete response. He underwent thoracoscopy-assisted esophagectomy in the prone position, and laparoscopy-assisted gastric tube reconstruction. This neoadjuvant chemotherapy of docetaxel, CDDP and 5-FU might be effective and tolerable as with patients with double cancer of esophageal and gastric cancers.     

A case successfully treated with subtotal esophagectomy after preoperative second-line chemotherapy for cT4 esophageal cancer

A 69-year-old male was diagnosed with type 2 advanced esophageal cancer in the upper and middle thoracic esophagus which invaded the left main bronchus and the aorta. Radio-chemotherapy was administered since a radical resection could not be performed due to the invasion. Two courses of enforced FP combination therapy (5-FU and CDDP) were administered along with radiotherapy. Although this radio-chemotherapy was effective to some degree in tumor reduction, a radical resection still could not be performed due to the invasion of the left main bronchus and the aorta. Thus, we administered four more courses of DCF combination therapy (docetaxel, CDDP and 5-FU). This chemotherapy reduced the esophageal cancer mass significantly, and subtotal esophagectomy was performed. No complications were observed after the operation. We conclude that DCF combination therapy may be effective in the treatment of esophageal cancer in cases which the desired effect cannot be achieved by FP combination therapy alone.     

Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Esophagus: Long-Term Survival After Radical Resection

A 55-year-old man had dysphagia of 4-month duration. Endoscopy revealed a large polypoidal pedunculated blackish mass located in the lower thoracic esophagus. A barium esophagogram revealed a lower esophageal mass. Computed tomography revealed a large polypoidal esophageal mass without any evidence of local invasion or distant disease. Endoscopic biopsy established the diagnosis of melanoma. A radical resection of the esophagus with three-field lymph nodal dissection was undertaken. The patient made an uneventful recovery. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of melanoma and positive lymph nodes. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given. He succumbed to systemic recurrence after 69 months.     

A case of long-term survival after resection for postoperative solitary adrenal metastasis from esophageal adenocarcinoma

A 71-year-old man presented with chief complains of hoarseness and dysphagia. He was diagnosed to have an advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma in the middle thoracic esophagus for which chemoradiation therapy was started. Partial response was observed and he was referred to our hospital thereafter. After detailed examination, he underwent a subtotal esophagectomy followed by two-field lymphadenectomy in May 2001. Histopathological examination revealed a complete response. Ten months later, hematological examination showed a high serum CEA level and CT scan disclosed mediastinal lymph node recurrences. He received a course of systemic chemotherapy so called FP therapy and five months later, a course of combination chemotherapy with 700 mg/m2 5-FU on days 1-5 and 70 mg/m2 nedaplatin on day 1 was administered. Because the high serum CEA level sustained afterward, FDG-PET was undertaken in March 2003. The right adrenal gland showed an intense abnormal FDG uptake and CT scan detected a low density mass in the area. Since no metastases could be identified in other sites, right adrenalectomy was performed. Pathological finding was poorly-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. Five years and eleven months after adrenalectomy, he died of pneumonia with no signs of recurrence. Surgical resection may contribute to improving the prognosis of solitary adrenal metastasis of esophageal cancer without the other noncurative factors.     

胸段食管癌淋巴结转移规律的探讨

目的:探讨胸段食管癌淋巴结转移规律及影响淋巴结转移的因素。方法:对140例胸段食管癌临床资料进行分析和统计学处理。结果:胸上段食管癌主要向颈部淋巴结转移;胸中段食管癌主要向颈部、纵隔、腹部淋巴结转移;胸下段食管癌主要向纵隔、腹部淋巴结转移;各段食管癌均存在淋巴结跳跃性转移;各段食管癌淋巴结转移度无显著性差异(P>0.05);鳞状细胞癌与腺癌、低分化癌之间,肿瘤长度之间淋巴结转移率无显著性差异(P>0.05),浸润深度之间淋巴结转移率有显著性差异(P<0.01)。结论:胸段食管癌淋巴结转移与浸润深度相关,与肿瘤长度,细胞分化程度无关;跳跃性淋巴结转移是食管癌淋巴结转移的一个特点。     

Pedunculated gastric tube interposition in an esophageal cancer patient with prepyloric adenocarcinoma

Gastric carcinoma is one of the malignancies that are most frequently associated with esophageal carcinoma.We describe herein our device for advanced esophageal cancer associated with early gastric cancer in the antrum.A 57-year-old man presenting with dysphagia and upper abdominal pain was admitted to our hospital.Preoperative examinations revealed locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the middle thoracic esophagus (T3N0M0 Stage ⅡA) and mucosal signetring cell carcinoma of the gastric antrum (T1N0M0 Stage ⅠA).Although the gastric tumor appeared to be an intramucosal carcinoma,its margin was obscure,so endoscopic en-bloc resection was considered inadequate.We chose surgical resection of the gastric tumor as well as the esophageal SCC after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin for advanced esophageal cancer.Following transthoracic esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection,the gastric carcinoma was removed by gastric antrectomy,which preserved the right gastroepiploic vessels,and a pedunculated short gastric tube was used as the esophageal substitute.Twenty-eight months after the surgery,the patient is well with no evidence of cancer recurrence.Because it minimizes surgical stress and organ sacrifice,gastric tube interposition is a potentially useful technique for esophageal cancer associated with localized early gastric cancer.     

A case of advanced esophageal carcinoma with nephrotic syndrome completely responding to chemotherapy of docetaxel, nedaplatin and 5-fluorouracil

A 78-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of dysphagia. He had been diagnosed as nephritic syndrome at 30 years of age and had been treated with prednisolone 10 mg/day. Blood examination revealed renal dysfunction; BUN 25 mg/dL, Cr 1. 9 mg/dL, and glomerular filtration rate(GFR)47. 4 mL/min. Endoscopy showed a type 2 tumor at the middle thoracic esophagus, and the biopsy specimen revealed moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma pathologically. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest and abdomen showed no metastases at distant regions and lymph nodes. Clinical staging was Stage II (cT2cN0cM0). Because of old age and renal function, we chose chemotherapy using docetaxel, nedaplatin and 5-fluorouracil. The adverse event was grade 2 in leucopenia and grade 1 in inappetence, but the renal function did not progress. Repeated endoscopic examinations after chemotherapy revealed that the esophageal cancer was significantly reduced in size, and no cancer cells were pathologically detected by endoscopic biopsy, resulting in a complete response(CR). This chemotherapy of docetaxel, nedaplatin and 5-fluorouracil might be effective and tolerable for patients with renal dys- function due to nephritic syndrome.     

胸段食管癌的淋巴结转移规律及其对确定术后放射治疗靶区范围的价值

目的 分析胸段食管癌淋巴结转移的规律及其影响因素,探讨食管癌术后放疗的靶区范围.方法 收集763例接受根治性切除的胸段食管癌患者的临床病理资料,分析淋巴结转移规律及影响因素.结果 763例胸段食管癌患者共清除淋巴结5846枚,病理证实转移711枚,转移度为12.2%;出现淋巴结转移者297例,转移率为38.9%.胸上段癌淋巴结转移率为28.5%,明显低于胸中段癌(38.8%)和胸下段癌(43.4%).胸上段癌以锁骨上和气管旁淋巴结的转移度和转移率最高.胸中段癌的上行和下行转移均存在,上行主要转移至锁骨上、气管旁和食管旁,下行主要转移至贲门和胃左动脉旁.胸下段癌则主要向食管旁、贲门和胃左动脉旁转移,其中胃左动脉旁的转移度和转移率均显著高于胸上段癌和胸中段癌(均P<0.01).采取左胸单切口的592例患者中,胸上、中、下段癌的淋巴结转移率分别为37.0%、37.9%和41.4%,差异无统计学意义(P=0.715).多因素Logistic回归分析表明,病变长度、浸润深度、脉管瘤栓和远处转移是影响胸段食管癌淋巴结转移的主要因素(均P<0.05).结论 临床上可以根据食管癌的病变长度、浸润深度、脉管瘤栓和远处转移选择需行术后预防照射的患者,根据不同病变部位、不同手术方式及TNM分期,确定术后预防照射的靶区范围.     

Pathologic complete response of thoracic esophageal cancer developing after gastrectomy to neoadjuvant low-dose nedaplatin (CDGP), 5-fluorouracil and radiotherapy

We treated a 69-year-old man who had developed esophageal cancer following gastrectomy. Pathologic complete response (pCR) was obtained by neoadjvant chemoradiotherapy using low-dose nedaplatin (CDGP) and 5-fluorouracil. The cancer located in the middle of the thoracic esophagus, had invaded the trachea and metastasized to cervical lymph nodes according to computed tomography. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy combining a low-dose of CDGP with 5-FU was administered together with radiotherapy. Adverse effects included grade 2 stomatitis and leukocytopenia. The esophageal cancer was found by endoscopy to have diminished significantly after completion of neoadjuvant therapy, An endoscopic biopsy specimen was found to contain no malignant cells. The tumor also was smaller by CT, where cervical lymph nodes no longer showed involvement. Partial response was diagnosed based on imaging, and radical resection of the esophageal cancer was performed via right thoracotomy and laparotomy. Operative staging findings indicated Ch x R-T 3 N 0 M 0, Stage II R 0 D 2 Cur A. Pedicled jejunum was used to reconstruct the esophagus through a mediastinal route. Pathologic examination of resected specimens disclosed no viable cancer cells in the esophagus or metastasis to dissected lymph nodes. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy using low-dose CDGP/5-FU is an effective treatment for esophageal cancer.     

Two cases of complete response of primary esophageal carcinoma treated with 5-FU/CDDP as neoadjuvant chemotherapy

CASE 1: A 67-year-old man with lower thoracic esophageal carcinoma, T2N0M0, cStage II, underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with 5-FU/CDDP. After 2 courses of NAC, radical resection of the esophageal carcinoma was performed. Primary tumor was not palpable, and lymph node swelling was not found in the resected specimens. Pathologic examination of the resected specimens revealed no malignant cells in the esophagus. Histologic effect of the NAC was grade 3. We obtained down-staging of carcinoma in T0N0M0, fStage 0. CASE 2: A 58-year-old man with thoracic esophageal cancer, T3N2M0, cStage III, underwent NAC with 5-FU/CDDP. After 2 courses of NAC, radical resection of the esophageal carcinoma was performed. Primary tumor was not found in the resected specimens. Pathologic examination of the resected specimens revealed only an irregular fibrosis of esophageal wall, and no malignant cells in the esophagus. Two lymph node metastasis and surrounding fibrosis was found. We obtained down-staging of carcinoma in T0N2M0, fStage II. We report two cases of complete response of primary esophageal carcinoma treated with 5-FU/CDDP as neoadjuvant chemotherapy.     

胸段食管癌淋巴结转移特点及意义

目的 了解胸段食管癌淋巴结转移的特点及对预后的影响,探讨食管癌术后合理的放射治疗范围。方法 对97例单纯手术切除的胸段食管癌患者的临床资料进行回顾性的分析。结果 淋巴结转移率37.1％,转移度14.4％,影响淋巴结转移的因素为肿瘤分化程度。肿瘤浸润的深度和长度则影响不大。有淋巴结转移患者的3年生存率为36％,(13/36)低于无淋巴结转移患者的3年生存率54％(33/61)。结论　食管癌术后应该辅助综合治疗。     

胸段食管鳞癌根治术后失败模式对放疗野设计的指导作用

目的 分析胸段食管鳞状细胞癌根治术后首次复发部位,为进一步修改和完善术后放疗范围提供重要参考依据。方法 回顾分析1999—2007年间在本院行根治术并有明确复发部位记录的195例胸段食管癌患者不同段的首次复发、转移部位。结果 胸上、中段食管癌以胸腔内复发(83.3%、68.0%)为主要部位,而胸下段食管癌则以胸腔内复发(42.9%)和腹腔淋巴结转移(40.8%)为主。术后病理显示淋巴结有无转移与胸腔内复发、锁骨上淋巴结转移、远处转移均无关(χ²=1.58、0.06、0.04,P=0.134、0.467、0.489),但腹腔淋巴结转移的术后淋巴结阳性比例高于阴性(28.7%∶10.6%,χ²=9.94,P=0.001),其中胸中段食管癌的也如此(20.0%∶5.6%,χ²=5.67,P=0.015)。切缘≤3 cm (52例)与>3 cm (142例)者相比术后吻合口复发率明显增加(25.0%∶11.3%,χ²=5.65,P=0.019)。结论 胸腔内为最常见首次复发部位。建议胸上、中段(淋巴结阴性)食管癌放疗靶区包括锁骨上区、上纵隔和瘤床,胸中段(淋巴结阳性)、下段食管癌包括锁骨上区、全纵隔及胃左、腹腔干淋巴引流区。如切缘≤3 cm建议包括吻合口。     

A case of stage IV esophageal cancer successfully treated by chemoradiation

A 63-year-old man was admitted to our institution with a hard tumor on the left side of the neck. He was diagnosed as having advanced esophageal cancer (Stage IV) with a massive supraclavicular lymph node metastasis, and the lesion was thought to be unresectable. He was treated with chemotherapy (CDDP-VDS-5-FU) and radiation therapy, and all the tumors completely disappeared on endoscopic and CT examination. A stricture with scarring was detected in the esophagus at 6 months after treatment. No neoplastic tissue was detected in the lesion, and his dysphagia was relieved by dilation of the stricture. Recurrence on the left side of the neck was detected by CT at 2.5 years after chemoradiation therapy. However, the tumor has not grown over the 2-year interval since then, so it seems to be dormant. He has now survived with a good QOL for 5 years since the first hospital admission. We conclude that advanced esophageal cancer can be treated with chemoradiation therapy if the patient is in sufficiently good overall condition.     

胸段食管癌淋巴结转移规律的临床研究

目的 分析胸段食管癌淋巴结转移规律，探讨肿瘤外科淋巴结清扫范围。方法 回顾性分析217例经“三野”淋巴结清除根治术的食管癌患者的临床资料。结果 全组淋巴结转移病例占62．6％，转移率11．38％，淋巴结“跳跃性转移”率为5．5％。胸上、中、下段食管癌颈部、胸部纵隔和腹腔淋巴结转移率分别达到31．7％、21．9％、9．75％、21．2％、30．5％、12．7％和12．1％、15．6％、34．5％。影响淋巴结转移的因素为肿瘤浸润深度，分化程度及有无淋巴管浸润。与肿瘤长度关系不大。结论 胸段食管癌表现上下“双向性”转移和跳跃性转移的特点，应常规行“三野”淋巴结清扫术，以提高患者5年生存率。     

A case of advanced esophageal cancer invaded to the trachea with PCR after preoperative chemoradiotherapy, which relapsed at the time of three years and seven months after resection

A male in his 40s was diagnosed with type-3 advanced esophageal cancer in the upper thoracic and cervical esophagus, which invaded to the trachea. We administered a low-dose FP combination therapy (5-FU and CDDP) along with 40 Gy radiotherapy. This chemoradiotherapy reduced the esophageal tumor significantly, and then we performed subtotal esophagectomy. Histological examination of the resected specimens revealed no residual cancer cells in the primary lesion or regional lymph nodes. No recurrence had occurred for about three years and seven months after the operation. However, CT revealed that the patient had the signs of recurrence (bone and lung), and finally he died four years and eight months after the operation. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy is potentially effective for advanced esophageal cancer invaded to adjacent organs. Although chemoradiotherapy yielded a complete response in our case( an advanced esophageal cancer patient), a patient follow-up is necessary because a recurrence may occur along the way.     

A case of a patient with stage IVa esophageal cancer surviving over 4 years by combination chemotherapy with docetaxel,5 -FU and cisplatin, without operation

A male patient in his 50s was found to have lower thoracic advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with the chief complaint of dysphagia in July 2006. CT revealed supraclavicular lymph node metastasis, and he was diagnosed as clinical stage IVa. He underwent two courses of combination chemotherapy with docetaxel, 5-FU and cisplatin(DFP therapy: docetaxel at 25mg/m / / 2 on day 1, 5-FU at 370 mg/m2 on days 1-5, and cisplatin at 7 mg/m2 on days 1-5 were repeated weekly for 4 weeks). The primary tumor disappeared and the lymph node was reduced as observed by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and CT. After 2 courses of DFP therapy, PET-CT revealed that the primary tumor and lymph node had no new accumulation. Because he refused both operation and chemoradiotherapy, the patient underwent oral chemotherapy. In January 2010, PET-CT and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed that the primary tumor relapsed. DFP therapy was performed and was effective once again. He has survived for over 4 years and 4 months without operation.     

A resected case of thoracic esophageal cancer in which pCR was obtained using low-dose of nedaplatin (CDGP)/5-FU and radiotherapy

This is a report of a case with esophageal cancer in which pathological CR was obtained by neoadjvant chemoradiotherapy using a low-dose of nedaplatin (CDGP)/5-FU. The patient was a male aged 76. A protuberant lesion diagnosed as esophageal cancer was found in the middle thoracic esophagus by esophagography. Since another lesion in the upper thoracic esophagus was revealed by endoscopy, metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes was diagnosed by ultrasonography, and preoperative chemoradiotherapy combining a low dose of CDGP/5-FU with radiotherapy was performed. As side effects of this treatment, grade 2 stomatitis and granulocytopenia were observed. The main lesion of the esophagus was found to have significantly diminished through endoscopy after completion of the treatment, and with no malignant cells obtained by biopsy. No cervical lymph nodes were found. It was diagnosed as partial response (PR) through imaging diagnosis. Radical resection of esophageal cancer under right thoracotomy and laparotomy was performed. Operative findings were Ch x R-T3N0M0 Stage II R0 D2 Cur A. Pathological examination of resected specimens revealed no viable cancer cells in the esophagus or metastasis to the dissected lymph nodes. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy using a low-dose of CDGP/5-FU is an effective treatment for esophageal cancer.     

A case of successful treatment by low-dose 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin for liver metastases of esophageal adenosquamous carcinoma

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the esophagus is an uncommon type of esophageal tumor. In the present case, a 54-year-old man without symptoms was diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, based on endoscopic examination of a biopsy specimen. Endoscopy and barium roentgenography revealed a superficial plateau-type lesion, 2 cm in length, in the lower esophagus. Esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy was performed via a right thoraco-abdominal approach. The histological diagnosis was adenosquamous carcinoma with no lymph node metastasis. Three years after the surgery, multiple liver metastases were detected by computed tomography. The patient was treated with a combination of low-dose 5-fluorouracil(350 mg/body/day) and low-dose cisplatin (7 mg/body/day). Because the first course of chemotherapy was very effective and the number of liver metastases was reduced,a further 6 courses were administered. After 6 courses of chemotherapy, no liver metastases were detected. Based on the present findings, we recommend low-dose 5-fluorouracil/cisplatin therapy for liver metastasis from esophageal adenosquamous carcinoma.