Syngeneic bone marrow transplantation for small cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Abstract

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus is an aggressive tumor which behaves biologically like its pulmonary counterpart. Since standard chemotherapy produces few long-term survivors, high-dose chemotherapy regimens with autologous progenitor cell support have been investigated to improve outcomes. Although these strategies have demonstrated improved response rates, overall survival has not been significantly impacted. Here, we report a unique case of a patient with stage IV SCC of the esophagus who underwent high-dose chemotherapy followed by syngeneic bone marrow transplantation. He remains disease-free 38 months post transplant with minimal long-term sequelae.