Photo Credit: PonyWang
The following is a summary of “Impact of preceding treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma on synchronous superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma,” published in the December 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Ueda et al.
Patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) commonly develop synchronous head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Advances in endoscopy and widespread screening have led to increased detection of synchronous cancers.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the impact of preceding treatment for HNSCC on synchronous superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SESCC).
They reviewed data from 134 patients with synchronous HNSCC and SESCC who received treatment for HNSCC (January 2010 and December 2023). Tumor size and depth of SESCC before and after HNSCC treatment were assessed.
The results showed that of 134 patients, 56% received chemoradiotherapy, 17.2% received surgery, 14.9% received radiotherapy, 7.5% received local resection, and 4.5% received chemotherapy. After treatment, tumor size increased in 18 patients (13.4%). Multivariate analysis indicated that an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) interval of ≥120 days was significantly linked to tumor size increase (OR, 6.64; 95% CI, 1.91-23.1). Tumor regrowth occurred in 70.6% of SESCCs that had shrunk, primarily within 6 months. Tumor depth aggravation was rare (2.2%), with progression to advanced ESCC observed in 2 patients.
They concluded that timely endoscopic follow-up within 120 days was crucial for managing synchronous SESCC after treatment for HNSCC.
Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00535-024-02201-z
