[Clinical analysis of 36 cases of esophageal mucoepidermoid carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To review the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of esophageal mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC).


METHODS
Clinical data of 36 patients with pathologically confirmed esophageal MEC who received surgical treatment in Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College from Jan 1991 to Jun 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
Of the 4253 patients diagnosed as esophageal cancer during the same time in our center, only 36 had esophageal MEC, accounted for 0.8%. This group included 27 men and 9 women ranging in age from 40 to 78 years (median 58 years). Esophageal MEC showed similar clinical symptoms, radiological and endoscopic features to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Of the 20 cases who received preoperatively endoscopic biopsy, 18 were misdiagnosed as ESCC and 2 were misdiagnosed as esophageal adenosquamous carcinoma. The mean follow-up duration of this series was 38.8 months (3-142 months). 22 patients died of the disease during the follow-up period, 12 were still alive and 2 were lost of follow-up. The median survival time (MST) of the 36 patients was 29.0 months, and the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates (OS) were 80.6%, 57.1%, 34.4%, 25.8%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Esophageal MEC is a rare disease and prone to be misdiagnosed by endoscopic biopsy. Surgical resection is the primary treatment but the prognosis is poor.
Surgical Department of Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, China.
Shao-bin
SB
Chen
Jie-sheng
JS
Yang
Wei-ping
WP
Yang
Hong-rui
HR
Weng
Hua
H
Li
Di-tian
DT
Liu
Yu-ping
YP
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000473:pathology; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate