[Clinicopathological analysis of esophageal carcinosarcoma:a report of 22 cases].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and surgical treatment of esophageal carcinosarcoma.


METHODS
The patients with esophageal carcinosarcoma were divided into two types according to barium swallow: intraluminal carcinosarcoma (n=20) and fungating carcinosarcoma (n=2). Only one esophageal carcinosarcoma case was diagnosed by esophagoscopic biopsy preoperatively. Twenty patients underwent left thoracic approach esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy above aortic arch, and two patients underwent esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy below aortic arch.


RESULTS
All the cases survived during operation and had no severe complication. Post-operative biopsy revealed that 21 cases had definite boundary between the carcinoma and the sarcoma. Only one case showed the invasion of carcinomatous tissues into sarcomatous tissues and mixed growth. Four cases had lymph node metastases (18.2%). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 90.9% (20/22), 77.3% (17/22) and 68.2% (15/22) respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Esophageal carcinosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor with little invasiveness, low lymph node metastasis, early clinical symptom occurrence, low preoperative accurate diagnostic rate and good prognosis. Surgical resection is the main treatment for esophageal carcinosarcoma.
Yu
Zhen
Z
Department of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China. dr.zhenyu@yahoo.com.cn
Cheng
Bang-Chang
BC
Chang
Sheng
S
Huang
Jie
J
Mao
Zhi-Fu
ZF
Kang
Gan-Jun
GJ
Lin
Hui-Qing
HQ
Xiao
Yong-Guang
YG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis