In our hospital we have seen 38 cases of esophageal cancer from June 1984 until June 1994. They composed of 34 (89%) men and 4(11%) women, their age distributed from 35 to 74, mean age was 57.55*7.43. Their symptoms were varied, dysphagia (97%),
pyrosis
(58%), chest pain (31%), weight loss (31%), anemia (8%), vomiting (5%), and hoarseness (1%). Surgical treatment was done with esophagectomy and upper GI reconstruction 35 cases, and palliative gastrostomy was 3 cases. There was no operative
mortality,
and operative morbidity was 8 cases of anastomotic leakage. 5 cases of wound infection, 5 cases of pleural effusion, hoarseness pneumothorax, and lung abscess. Pathologic lesion distribution: upper thoracic esophagus 6 cases (16%), middle
thoracic
esophagus 17 cases (45%) and lower thoracic esophagus 15 cases (39%). There was no statistical difference of transhiatal esophagectomy and transthoracic esophagectomy in complications and hospitalization period in this study but we proved the
superiority of gastric upper GI reconstruction rather than colon upper GI reconstruction in anastomotic leakage and hospitalization period. Cumulative survival rate was 76.2% in 1 year survival, 33.9% in 3 year survival, 25.4% in 5 year survival,
12.7%
in 10 year survival. There was no relationship with the time of dysphagia with survival in this study.
(Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1995;28:280-6)
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