Surgical therapy of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus--limited radical intervention

Abstract

Within 23 years 237 esophageal resections were performed in patients with carcinoma of the esophagus. 115 had epidermoid cell carcinoma. After resection of the esophagus 15.3% survived 5 years. The follow-up rate over the whole period is 96%. In respect to survival only the degree of differentiation, the stage and the hospital lethality significantly influence survival. In historical comparison the blunt dissection was able to lower hospital lethality. This could not be shown in our material within a comparable time. In order to evaluate the outcome after 5 years in regard to radical transthoracic operation and blunt dissection we did a matched-pairs-analysis. There was no difference in both groups.