[Clinical analysis of 22 cases of esophageal adenosquamous carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
This study was to review the clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of esophageal adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC).


METHODS
Clinical data of 22 patients with pathologically confirmed esophageal ASC, treated in the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from May 1988 to April 2006, were retrospectively analyzed. The survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
Of 4208 patients diagnosed as esophageal cancer during the same time in our center, only 22 had esophageal ASC, accounted for 0.52%. The median age of the 22 cases was 60 years (range, 42 to 69 years). Esophageal ASC showed similar clinical symptoms, radiological and endoscopic features to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Nineteen cases were preoperatively misdiagnosed as ESCC by endoscopic biopsy. Among the 22 patients, 16 were treated by surgery alone, 3 by surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy, and the remaining 3 by radiotherapy, sequential chemoradiotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy, each in one case, respectively. The overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 67.6%, 33.8% and 18.1%, respectively, with a median survival time of 24.5 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Esophageal adenosquamous carcinoma is a rare esophageal disease and prone to be misdiagnosed as esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Initial surgical treatment combined with other therapies is suggested. The prognosis of esophageal adenosquamous carcinoma has not yet been well established.
Zhang
Dong-kun
DK
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Su
Xiao-dong
XD
Lin
Peng
P
Long
Hao
H
Fu
Jian-hua
JH
Zhang
Lan-jun
LJ
Ma
Guo-wei
GW
Rong
Tie-hua
TH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil