A Case of Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus with an Extremely High Serum Carcinoenbryonic Antigen Level

Moto Kashiwabara, Takashi Tajiri, Masao Miyashita, Tsutomu Nomura, Hiroshi Makino, Hiroshi Maruyama*, Takeshi Matsutani*, Miwako Katsuta, Koji Sasajima* and Kiyohiko Yamashita

Department of Surgery for Organ Function and Biological Regulation, Nippon Medical School, Graduate School of Medicine
Department of Surgery, Tama-Nagayama Hospital, Nippon Medical School*

We report a case of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus with extremely high serum CEA reflecting the period of recurrence and therapeutic effect. A 70-year-old man examined by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy due to dysphagia was found in endoscopic examination to have a tumor at the upper thoracic esophagus. Histological biopsy findings indicated squamous cell carcinoma. On admission, laboratory data showed serum CEA elevated to 19 ng/ml. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and right transthoracic esophagectomy with extended lymph node dissection were done. Serum CEA decreased to normal, 2.0 ng/ml, after surgery. After the first admission, he was admitted 4 more times for recurrence in lymph nodes and its invasion to an anastomosis. On each admission, serum CEA was extremely high. After chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy, serum CEA decreased along with recurrent tumor size. He died of the disease 24 months after surgery.

Key words
carcinoembryonic antigen, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Reprint requests
Moto Kashiwabara Department of Surgery for Organ Function and Biological Regulation, Nippon Medical School, Graduate School of Medicine
1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8603 JAPAN

Accepted
November 26, 2003

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