This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Lo, O. S.-H. Articles by Wong, J. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lo, O. S.-H. Articles by Wong, J.

Esophageal Cancers with Synchronous or Antecedent Head and Neck Cancers: A More Formidable Challenge?

¹ Division of Esophageal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong Medical Centre, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
² Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong Medical Centre, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Correspondence: Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Simon Law, MS, MA (Cantab), MBBChir, FRCS(Edin), FACS; E-mail: slaw{at}hku.hk

Background: The presence of synchronous or antecedent head and neck cancers may complicate management of patients with primary esophageal cancer.

Methods: From January 1982 to December 2004, by means of a prospectively collected database, we compared information from 119 patients with esophageal cancers who had synchronous or antecedent head and neck cancers with information from 1555 patients who only had squamous cell esophageal cancer in a tertiary referral academic hospital.

Results: There were far more men and younger patients in those who had head and neck cancers, and multicentric tumors were also more common. Hypopharyngeal tumors were the most frequently encountered head and neck cancer and were found in 36.1% of patients. Resection rates of the primary esophageal cancers were similar in those who had head and neck cancers and in those who only had esophageal cancer (60.7% vs. 61.7% P = .74). Overall postoperative complication rates were not different. Thirty-day mortality rates were 0% and 2.9% for those who did and did not have head and neck tumors, respectively (P = .25). The respective hospital mortality rates were 10.3% and 9.5% (P = .83). Median survival for resectable esophageal cancers was 9.2 months for the former group and 13.4 months for the latter (P = .02).

Conclusions: Esophagectomy rates did not differ when synchronous or antecedent head and neck cancers were present. Similar postoperative morbidity and mortality rates could be achieved. The presence of additional head and neck tumors imparted a worse long-term prognosis.

Key Words: Synchronous or antecedent cancers • Esophageal cancer • Head and neck cancer • Postoperative complication • Morbidity • Mortality