Abstract
Background
Esophageal cancer is the 8th most common cancer in the world. It is an lethal disease, responsible for almost 400.000 deaths by year. Surgical resection is considered the gold standard in esophageal cancer treatment, with a global 15–40% cure rate. In this study, the results of esophageal cancer surgical treatment at Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Abdominal-pelvic Surgical Section, is analyzed.
Methods
The medical records of 215 patients with esophageal cancer, treated with surgical resection (esophagectomy), between January 1999 and December 2015, were retrospectively studied. The endpoints analyzed in the study were: hospitalization time, operative complications and mortality, and overall survival.
Results
Esophageal cancer was predominant in male patients; median age was 58 years (27–78). Primary tumor location varied between 7,5 - 41 cm (median 32cm) and tumor extension 1 - 16cm (median 5cm). Median surgical time was 330 minutes (120–720); transhiatal esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction was the most used surgical approach. Tumors histopathological types were equaly distributed. ICU (Intensive Care Unit) stay median time was 5 days (1–87) and median hospitalization time was 15 days (5–166). Most common surgical complications were anastomotic leakage (25,5%) and pneumonia (20%), with a surgical morbidity rate of 61,8%. Surgical mortality rate was 12%, with 61% of these cases occuring in the 30 days after surgery. Median 2-year overall survival was 44,3 months.
Conclusion
Besides the high surgical morbidity, esophagectomy for esophageal cancer remains the standard treatment for patients with ressectable tumors and without clinical contraindications for surgery. Reduction of surgical mortality depends on rigorous patients selection, surgical team expertise and adequate perioperative and postoperative care.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
My Experiences in the Surgical Treatment of the Esophageal Cancer
