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  • Molecular and Cellular Pathology
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Screening for oesophageal neoplasia in patients with head and neck cancer

British Journal of Cancer volume 86, pages 239–243 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Due to advanced disease at the time of diagnosis the prognosis of oesophageal cancer is generally poor. As mass screening for oesophageal cancer is neither feasible nor reasonable, high-risk groups should be identified and surveilled. The aim of this study was to define the risk of oesophageal cancer in patients with (previous) head and neck cancer. A total of 148 patients with (previous) head and neck cancer were prospectively screened for oesophageal cancer by video-oesophagoscopy and random oesophageal biopsies. Even in a macroscopically normal looking oesophagus, four biopsy specimens were taken every 3 cm throughout the entire length of the squamous oesophagus. Low- or high-grade squamous cell dysplasia was detected histologically in 10 of the 148 patients (6.8%). All but one dysplasias were diagnosed synchronously with the head and neck cancers. In addition, oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed in 11 of the 148 patients (7.4%). Most invasive cancers (63.6%) occurred metachronously. The risk of squamous cell neoplasia of the oesophagus is high in patients with (previous) head and neck cancer. Surveillance is recommended in this high-risk group.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the nurses of the Central Endoscopy Unit, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, FU Berlin, for their excellent support of this study. We are indebted to CM deVilliers, C Ell, M Hollstein, H Makuuchi, T Ponchon and M Stolte for reading the manuscript and helpful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Clinic I, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, Berlin, 12200, Germany

    H Scherübl, B von Lampe, S Faiss, P Däubler, M Zeitz & E-O Riecken

  2. ENT Department, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, Berlin, 12200, Germany

    P Bohlmann & H Scherer

  3. Department of Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, Berlin, 12200, Germany

    T Plath, A Strunz & B Hoffmeister

  4. Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, Berlin, 12200, Germany

    H-D Foss & H Stein

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  1. H Scherübl
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  2. B von Lampe
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  3. S Faiss
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  4. P Däubler
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Correspondence to H Scherübl.

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Scherübl, H., Lampe, B., Faiss, S. et al. Screening for oesophageal neoplasia in patients with head and neck cancer. Br J Cancer 86, 239–243 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6600018

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6600018

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