I-Chen Wu1, Yin-Yi Chu2, Yao-Kuang Wang1, Cho-Lun Tsai3, Jung-Chun Lin4, Chao-Hung Kuo5, Hsiang-Yao Shih6, Chen-Shuan Chung7, Ming-Luen Hu8, Wei-Chih Sun9, Jack P Wang10, Hsiu-Po Wang11. 1. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 2. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, New Taipei Municipal TuCheng Hospital and Chang Gung University, New Taipei City, Taiwan. 3. Department of Internal Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan. 4. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. 5. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 6. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 7. Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. 8. Division of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 9. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Veteran General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 10. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Renai Branch, Taipei, Taiwan. 11. Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: wanghp@ntu.edu.tw.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Esophageal neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are very rare and mostly carcinomic, carrying poor prognosis. There is still no guideline or consensus on the treatment for esophageal NET. METHODS: Patients with histologically-proven esophageal neuroendocrine tumor were recruited from 9 hospitals in Taiwan between 2002 and 2017. Clinical, laboratory, radiological, endoscopic, pathological data, treatment strategies, follow-up periods, and survivals were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: In total, 39 esophageal NET were analyzed and 38 were neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). Sixteen (41%) patients had mixed components with either adenocarcinoma (N = 9, 23%) or squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) (N = 7, 18%). 64.1% of the patients experienced dysphagia and ulcerative mass was the most comment endoscopic finding. There was a higher proportion of drinkers (54.1%), betel chewers (21.6%) and smokers (64.9%) among the patients than in the general population in Taiwan. Five patients (12.8%) had been diagnosed with other cancers. Definite chemoradiotherapy (N = 14, 35.9%) and surgery (N = 7, 17.9%) were the major treatment. Patients with Ki-67% above the median level (50%) in the tumors tended to have worse survival (P = 0.06). However, presence of mixed component was not a significant survival predictor in our study (P = 0.56). CONCLUSION: Mixed component of an esophageal NET is commonly observed. Staged workup and the principle of treatment can follow that for the common cancer type of esophagus. The risk factors and behaviors of esophageal NEC in Taiwan seem to be similar to that of esophageal SCC.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Esophageal neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are very rare and mostly carcinomic, carrying poor prognosis. There is still no guideline or consensus on the treatment for esophageal NET. METHODS:Patients with histologically-proven esophageal neuroendocrine tumor were recruited from 9 hospitals in Taiwan between 2002 and 2017. Clinical, laboratory, radiological, endoscopic, pathological data, treatment strategies, follow-up periods, and survivals were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: In total, 39 esophageal NET were analyzed and 38 were neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). Sixteen (41%) patients had mixed components with either adenocarcinoma (N = 9, 23%) or squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) (N = 7, 18%). 64.1% of the patients experienced dysphagia and ulcerative mass was the most comment endoscopic finding. There was a higher proportion of drinkers (54.1%), betel chewers (21.6%) and smokers (64.9%) among the patients than in the general population in Taiwan. Five patients (12.8%) had been diagnosed with other cancers. Definite chemoradiotherapy (N = 14, 35.9%) and surgery (N = 7, 17.9%) were the major treatment. Patients with Ki-67% above the median level (50%) in the tumors tended to have worse survival (P = 0.06). However, presence of mixed component was not a significant survival predictor in our study (P = 0.56). CONCLUSION: Mixed component of an esophageal NET is commonly observed. Staged workup and the principle of treatment can follow that for the common cancer type of esophagus. The risk factors and behaviors of esophageal NEC in Taiwan seem to be similar to that of esophageal SCC.