Since the early 1970s, the incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma has increased dramatically in most Western populations. In contrast, the incidence of oesophageal squamous-cell carcinoma has decreased in these same populations. Epidemiological studies conducted over the past decade have provided great insights into the etiology of oesophageal cancer. These studies have identified gastro-oesop...

BACKGROUND Aberrant R/subclavian artery is a rare congenital anomaly involving aortic arch. Oesophageal carcinoma with associated aberrant R/subclavian artery is very rare and only few cases has been reported in literature. If unrecognized and injured during oesophageal surgery, it can lead to disastrous complications. When associated with oesophageal carcinoma, it can cause diagnostic confusio...

Tuberculous involvement of the oesophagus is rare, and is usually caused by direct spread from adjacent afflicted structures. We report an 83-year-old male patient with oesophageal tuberculosis secondary to tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenitis who presented with non-specific symptoms of anorexia and lethargy. Upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy revealed an ulcerative tumour-like lesion in the mi...

BACKGROUND Oesophageal carcinoma is the leading cause of death from cancers. Most of the oesophageal carcinomas are either squamous cell carcinomas or adeno-carcinomas. The cervical oesophagus is an uncommon site of the disease. There is an increase of 15-20 percent mortality rate over the past two to three decades, during which time the histologic pattern of the disease has also changed signif...

BACKGROUND For rectal carcinoma, the presence of tumour within 1 mm of the circumferential margin is an important independent prognostic factor for both local recurrence and survival. Similar prospective data have not been reported for oesophageal carcinoma and we wished to ascertain the prognostic importance of this variable following potentially curative resection for oesophageal carcinoma. ...

BACKGROUND Survival trends in oesophageal and gastric cancer need to be updated. A nationwide Swedish population-based study in 1961-2009 was based on registry data. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Relative survival rate, i.e. the ratio of the observed to the expected survival, adjusted for age, sex, and calendar period, and presented with 95% confidence intervals (CI), was the main outcome me...

A 59-year-old man, a smoker, presented with features of airflow obstruction due to squamous cell carcinoma of central airways mimicking chronic obstructive airways disease. He also had pronounced dysphagia. Computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging scans showed mediastinal tumour invasion but no direct oesophageal involvement. Oesophageal manometry studies revealed that dysphagia was ...

AIMS To investigate the pathological effects of preoperative chemotherapy on oesophageal carcinoma. METHODS Qualitative and quantitative changes in oesophageal carcinoma after preoperative chemotherapy were assessed by examination of biopsy specimens before treatment and resected specimens. RESULTS Of 13 patients with adenocarcinoma treated with 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, and mitomycin (FA...

We report a case of necrotizing pneumonia caused by Lactobacillus secondary to a tracheo-oesophageal fistula created by an oesophageal carcinoma. We emphasize the presence of resistance of Lactobacillus to clindamycin and cotrimoxazole, previously reported to be effective.

Oesophageal carcinoma is a common form of cancer in developing countries, especially in the Caspian littoral and northern China. In contrast, it has a much lower incidence in Japan, the U.S.A. and western Europe. Certainly in the case of squamous cell oesophageal carcinoma, dietary composition, smoking, alcohol and exposure to nitrosamines are major risk factors that may partly explain the dise...