HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hankins, J. R. Articles by McLaughlin, J. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hankins, J. R. Articles by McLaughlin, J. S.

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 69, 355-360, Copyright © 1975 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association

ARTICLES

The association of carcinoma of the esophagus with achalasia

JR Hankins and JS McLaughlin

Among 156 patients with achalasia who were treated during a 13 year period, two developed squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The first, a 33-year-old man, developed a carcinoma of the upper third of the esophagus 2 years after the onset of symptoms of achalasia. He was treated by a Heller myotomy and radiation therapy and survived 16.7 months. The second, a 60-year-old man, had had symptoms of achalasia for 15 years. He is alive with suspected recurrence 6 months after undergoing esophagogastrectomy for a carcinoma of the middle and lower thirds. A summary of the literature regarding carcinoma complicating achalasia is presented. This indicates that carcinoma arises in at least 1 to 7 per cent of patients with achalasia. Delay in diagnosis is common. The treatment need not differ from that of carcinoma without a chalasia, but the prognosis is dismal. Since there is evidence that retention esophagitis is a premalignant condition, it should be possible to prevent the development of carcinoma in achalasia by early cardiomyotomy in cases in which hydrostatic dilatation is not completely effective. A plea is made for closer surveillance of patients with achalasia so that, if carcinoma supervenes, it may be detected at an early stage.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. J. Devaney, M. D. Iannettoni, M. B. Orringer, and B. Marshall Esophagectomy for achalasia: patient selection and clinical experience Ann. Thorac. Surg., September 1, 2001; 72(3): 854 - 858. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Streitz Jr, F. H. Ellis Jr, S. P. Gibb, and G. M. Heatley Achalasia and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus: Analysis of 241 Patients Ann. Thorac. Surg., June 1, 1995; 59(6): 1604 - 1609. [Abstract] [Full Text]