Analysis on Treatment for Recurrence of Carcinoma of the Esophagus

Michihiko Kitamura, Shichisaburo Abo, Masaji Hashimoto, Keiichi Izumi, Toshio Shikama, Hyroyuki Suzuki

Second Department of Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine

Clinical profiles and results of treatment for recurrence of thoracic esophageal carcinoma were analysed. The sites of recurrence were lymph nodes (73%), a distant organ (36%) and local (mediastinum) (17%). The median survival period was 7 months, mean survival period was 8.2 months and 1, 2 and 3-year survival rates were 21%, 10% and 5%, respectively. The outcome for the patients who underwent active therapy for recurrence was significantly better than for those who underwent only palliative therapy. The median survival period for patients who had been given irradiation was 9 months, which is significantly longer than that (6 months) for those who had been given chemotherapy. For the majority (73%) of the patients who had been given irradiation, the diagnosis was based on their clinical symptoms (mainly hoarseness). In these irradiated cases, the mean long diameter of the recurrent tumors was 4.4 cm, the mean period between the onset of the symptoms and the beginning of treatment was 2.8 months and the effective rate was 39%. Resection at the site of recurrence was performed in 4 cases and the prognosis for these patients was relatively good; one patient died 17 months after re-resection and the other 3 patients were being treated as outpatients, whose survival period after re-resection was 6, 20 and 22 months, respectively. Interleukin-2 was administered for pleuritis carcinomatosa and pericarditis carcinomatosa with positive results.

Key words
treatment for recurrence of carcinoma of the esophagus

Reprint requests
Michihiko Kitamura The Second Department of Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine
1-1-1 Hondo, Akita City, 010 JAPAN

Accepted
October 7, 1992

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