Detection of metachronous esophageal squamous carcinoma in patients with head and neck cancer with use of transnasal esophagoscopy.

Abstract

The use of transnasal esophagoscopy was examined for detecting metachronous esophageal squamous carcinoma in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In all, 398 transnasal esophagoscopies were performed in 293 previously treated patients with HNSCC between December 2007 and January 2009. Metachronous esophageal squamous carcinoma was detected in 15 (5.1%) patients. The prevalence rate was 15.9% (7/44) in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer, significantly higher than the 8.3% (2/24) with laryngeal, 7.1% (3/42) with oropharyngeal, and 1.6% (3/183) with oral cancer (p = .001). The stage distributions of esophageal squamous carcinoma were I-II in 12 (80%) and III-IV in 3 (20%) patients. Subsequently, curative strategies were performed in 13 (87%) patients. Transnasal esophagoscopy can be used as a routine survey technique in patients with HNSCC to detect metachronous esophageal squamous carcinoma, especially in those with hypopharyngeal cancer.