Early squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: Diagnosis and management

Out of 1,338 esophageal carcinomas observed from 1980 lo 1987, 171 were clinically staged as early cancers. 150 of 17] patients underwent esophagectomy, and an early cancer was pathologically confirmed in fit. Hospital mortality was 3.3% (2 of 61). The 5-year survival rate of mucosal (n = 10) and submucosal (n = 51) tumors was 100 and 33%, respectively. Neoplastic recurrence was detected in 9 patients, all of whom were operated on for a submucosal tumor. We think that mucosal tumors can be cured with surgical resection, whereas submucosal cancers may need a multimodality treatment. During the last 3 years of the study, 10 patients with a clinical diagnosis of early cancer who were not candidates for surgery underwent endoscopic laser therapy: until now, no patients died with neoplastic recurrence.