title: Management of early esophageal cancer.
abstract: In early esophageal cancer, squamous cell cancer and early adenocarcinoma must be managed differently because they have different origins, pathogenesis. and clinical characteristics. The current treatment options vary widely, from extended resection with lymphadenectomy to endoscopic mucosectomy or ablation. None of these treatment options can be recommended universally. Instead, an individualized strategy should be based on the depth of tumor infiltration into the mucosa or submucosa, the presence or absence of lymph node metastases, the multicentricity of tumor growth, the length of the segment of intestinal metaplasia, and comorbidities of the patient. Endoscopic mucosectomy may be sufficient in a subset of patients who have m1 or m2 squamous cell carcinoma and in patients who have isolated foci of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia or mucosal cancer. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for carcinomas invading the submucosal and multicentric tumors. Limited resection with jejunal interposition provides an effective treatment option for patients who have early esophageal adenocarcinoma. The onset of lymph node involvement is later in patients who have early adenocarcinoma than in patients who have squamous cell cancer, probably because chronic injury and repair mechanisms obliterate the otherwise abundant lymph vessels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaningerstr.22, 81675 München, Germany. theisen@chir.med.tu-muenchen.de
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Theisen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feith
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Siewert
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome