Retrieval Reoperation For Patients With Recurrent Cancer After Esophagectomy For Cancer And Radical Radiotherapy For Carcinoma Of The Esophagus

China is a high incidence area of esophageal cancer, but the long-term survival of these patients is disappointing because most patients are in advanced stage at diagnosis. The overall 5-year survival rate is 30% for patients who underwent esophagectomy for squamous cell carcinoma, with a median survival of 18 months. The incidence of recurrent carcinoma in the patient who had radiotherapy for esophageal cancer is 80%. The majority of patients will present with progressing dysphagia. Some of them also have bleeding or esopgagobroncheal fistulas. The main purpose of palliative treatment to relieve dysphagia and to maintain adequate nutrition. Palliative measures include radiotherapy, laser ablation, photodynamic therapy, dilatation, and placement of prostheses. But the results of these measures are discourage. Preliminary reports suggest a potential survival benefit from re-resection in carefully selected patients. Resection of locally recurrent esophageal cancer can be technically challenging, Not only because the approach made more difficult by scar tissue from the previous resection, but often the operative field has been irradiated a number of months or even years previously. In conclusion, re-resection of locally recurrent esophageal carcinoma can result in considerable morbidity。However,long-term survival and better quality of live are possible in carefully selected patients.