MUCOSAL SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE ESOPHAGUS - A CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF 30 CASES

A clinicopathologic study was carried out on 30 patients with mucosal esophageal cancer (MEC). The depth of cancer invasion was subdivided h istologically into three categories: m(1) = carcinoma in situ (intraep ithelial carcinoma) or carcinoma with questionable invasion beyond the basal membrane; m(2) = cancer invasion confined to the lamina propria , and m(3) = cancer reaching to or infiltrating into the muscularis mu cosae. Lymph node metastases and lymphatic invasion were found only in the tumors reaching or infiltrating the muscularis mucosae (m(3)). Th e maximum histologic vertical extent of the tumors was more than 1 mm in 4 of 5 patients with lymph node metastasis or lymphatic invasion. N one of the patients died of recurrent esophageal disease, and 3 of the 6 patients who had a second primary tumor died of this other malignan cy. It is critical to distinguish between m(1), m(2) and m(3) tumors t o plan a treatment strategy, including an endoscopic mucosal resection .