Cause of death in carcinoma of the esophagus.

Carcinoma of the esophagus continues to carry a very poor prognosis. Previous studies have rarely reported the exact cause of death in these patients. Twenty-five autopsies were retrospectively reviewed in patients with the diagnosis of carcinoma of the esophagus, noting the cause of death. Two-thirds of all patients with unresected middle-third lesions ultimately died as a result of direct extension of the tumor into the aorta or tracheobronchial tree. Other findings included a high incidence of second neoplasms (12%) and the lack of an antemortem diagnosis of esophageal cancer in three of four females in the series.