Treatment-outcome for synchronous head-and-neck and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Although head & neck and oesophageal carcinomas occur synchronously in up to 12%, almost no data on feasibility and outcome after radiotherapy are available.


METHODS
From 1989 to 2002, 24 patients were treated at Tuebingen University and Fulda hospital with a radiation based, curative approach. These were analyzed retrospectively.


RESULTS
The median overall survival was 37 (1-69) months with a few long-term survivors with a median follow-up of 26 months for patients at risk. 7 local recurrences occurred. No major toxicity was seen.


CONCLUSIONS
Even though the prognosis of synchronous head & neck and oesophageal carcinomas is grim, long-term survival is possible. A radiation-based approach is feasible and can be chosen for a curative treatment approach which we recommend.
Welz
Stefan
S
Department of Radiation Oncology, Eberhard-Karls-University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. stefan.welz@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
Schmid
Angelika
A
Hehr
Thomas
T
Schulze
Katrin
K
Feldmann
Horst-J
HJ
Budach
Wilfried
W
Bamberg
Michael
M
Belka
Claus
C
D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome