MORPHOLOGIC FEATURES IN ESOPHAGEAL SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF YOUNG-ADULTS IN NORTH CHINA

Background. North China has an adjusted annual mortality rate of more than 100 per 100,000 persons for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (S CC). However, its occurrence in young adults is considered uncommon. M ethods The clinical data and surgically resected specimens of 1033 cas es of esophageal SCC were analyzed from the archives of an university hospital in Hebei, North China. There were 76 (7.4%) specimens from yo ung adults (aged 35 years younger, Group 1) in the sample, and the cli nicopathologic findings of these patients were compared with those of patients older than 35 years of age (Group 2, N = 957). Results The me an age was 31.1 years for Group 1 and 52.2 years for Group 2. The male -to-female ratio was 3.0 and 2.3, respectively (P < 0.01). The 2-year survival rates were 42.1% for Group 1 and 54.0% for Group 2 (P < 0.05) . The 10-year survival rates were 9.2% and 14.5%, respectively. Group 1 patients had more diffuse infiltrative growth (P < 0.025). Poorly di fferentiated SCC and vessel invasion were also common in Group 1. Conv ersely, Group 2 had more cases with fibrocollagenous stroma around the tumor (P < 0.001) and obvious germinal center hyperplasia in the regi onal lymph node (P < 0.05). Conclusion The prognosis of young adults w ith esophageal SCC was worse than that of their older counterpart.