RESULTS OF SURGICAL-TREATMENT OF CANCER OF THE ESOPHAGUS (209 CASES)

We present a series of 209 patients with cancer of the esophagus over a 13-year period. Average age was 61.99 years and 87.56% of the patients were male. As for histological type, 59.8% of cases were epidermoid carcinomas and the remaining adenocarcinomas. In 76.55% of cases tumor stage was III or IV. Operability rate was 81.8% and resectability 57.89%. The most frequent resective procedure was oesophagogastrectomy through a right thoratomy and laparotomy. Reconstruction of digestive continuity was achieved in 86.77% with the stomach; 53.72 of resections were judged to be <<radical>>. Overall postoperative morbidity was 45.61%. Respiratory failure and anastomotic leakage accounted for most of morbidity. Anastomotic leakage was more frequent in patients undergoing bypass, with cervical anastomosis, and when the reconstruction was performed with the colon. Mortality rate was 14.04%, but fell to 7.69% in patients undergoing <<radical>> resection. Overall 5-year survival was 7.83% and 11.81% in patients undergoing resection. The more relevant prognostic factor was tumour stage; 5-year survival of patients with tumour stage I-II was 27,53%, and 0% for patients with tumour stage II or IV.