Successful outcome after combined chemotherapeutic and surgical management in a case of esophageal cancer with breast and brain relapse

World J Gastroenterol. 2006 Sep 14;12(34):5565-8. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i34.5565.

Abstract

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a highly lethal disease. Approximately 50% of patients present with metastatic EC and most patients with localized EC will have local recurrence or develop metastases, despite potentially curative local therapy. The most common sites of distant recurrence are represented by lung, liver and bone while brain and breast metastases are rare. Usually patients with advanced disease are not treated aggressively and their median survival is six months. We report a woman patient who developed breast and brain metastases after curative surgery. We treated her with a highly aggressive chemotherapeutic and surgical combination resulting in a complete remission of the disease even after 11-year follow-up. We think that in super selected patients with more than one metastasis, when functional status is good and metastases are technically resectable, a surgical excision may be considered as a salvage option and chemotherapy should be delivered to allow a systemic control.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Brain Neoplasms / secondary
  • Brain Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms / secondary
  • Breast Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / secondary
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / surgery*
  • Cisplatin / administration & dosage
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / administration & dosage
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / therapy
  • Recurrence
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Cisplatin
  • Fluorouracil