Journal of Digestive Cancer Research 2014; 2(2): 64-67
Published online December 31, 2014
© Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Cancer
Esophageal cancer has a poor prognosis, because the progression rate is faster compared to that of other cancers, Up to 30-40% of cases are inoperable at diagnosis, and most cases occur in the elderly. By this time, surgery has been regarded as the treatment of choice in patients suffering esophageal cancer and recent improvements in surgical techniques and perioperative management have significantly increased the resection rate and reduced the operative mortality. And Although the combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy has been reported to be an effective treatment for esophageal cancer, most cases show only partial remission. Moreover, radiation therapy alone or chemotherapy alone has limited efficacy. We report a rare case of an 80-year-old man who presented with a chief complaint of dysphasia and was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer, with a review of the literature. Considering his advanced age, generally poor performance status, and the risk of fistula development after radiation therapy due to indentation of esophageal cancer into the main bronchus, palliative, rather than therapeutic, chemotherapy was performed, and complete remission was obtained.
Journal of Digestive Cancer Research 2014; 2(2): 64-67
Published online December 31, 2014
Copyright © Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Cancer Research.
탁대현·문희석·정현용·성재규·강선형
충남대학교 의학전문대학원 내과학교실, 소화기내과
Dae Hyun Tak, Hee Seok Moon, Hyun Yong Jeong, Jae Kyu Sung and Sun Hyung Kang
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
Esophageal cancer has a poor prognosis, because the progression rate is faster compared to that of other cancers, Up to 30-40% of cases are inoperable at diagnosis, and most cases occur in the elderly. By this time, surgery has been regarded as the treatment of choice in patients suffering esophageal cancer and recent improvements in surgical techniques and perioperative management have significantly increased the resection rate and reduced the operative mortality. And Although the combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy has been reported to be an effective treatment for esophageal cancer, most cases show only partial remission. Moreover, radiation therapy alone or chemotherapy alone has limited efficacy. We report a rare case of an 80-year-old man who presented with a chief complaint of dysphasia and was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer, with a review of the literature. Considering his advanced age, generally poor performance status, and the risk of fistula development after radiation therapy due to indentation of esophageal cancer into the main bronchus, palliative, rather than therapeutic, chemotherapy was performed, and complete remission was obtained.
Keywords: Cancer esophagus, Chemotherapy, Remission complete