MICROSCOPIC GROWTH TYPE SHOWS PROGNOSTIC VALUE IN SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE ESOPHAGUS TREATED BY STANDARD ESOPHAGECTOMY

A retrospective study was made of 53 patients undergoing standard esop hagectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The histologic al preparations were studied in order to assess different anatomopatho logical factors and to relate them to the postoperative survival of th e patients. A significant influence of the microscopic growth type of the tumor on survival was observed (p = 0.001 Kaplan-Meier test and Co x for a single variable). Thus, survival rate is higher in cases of ex pansive growth than in those of infiltrative type. Although a certain tendency towards better survival is observed for higher degrees of per itumoral lymphocytic infiltration, statistically significant differenc es were not obtained. No prognostic significance was found for degree of differentiation, mitotic index, or the presence of severe dysplasia /carcinoma in situ at the borders of the tumor. The failure of invasio n of the esophageal wall to show prognostic value was probably because most cases belonged to the same pathological stage. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the prognostic value of microscopic growth type in epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus.