Abstract
The residual cervical esophagus after operation for thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC) has a high risk for metachronous squamous cell carcinoma. We report a case of cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (CESCC) that was treated by endoscopy after operation for TESCC. A 71-year-old male underwent an esophagectomy for TESCC. Pathological diagnosis was moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, pT1a-LPM, ly0, v0, pN0. Four years and eight months later, endoscopic examination revealed a 0-IIb lesion, involving four-fifths of the esophageal circumference, located from the pharyngoesophageal junction to the cervical esophagus. By biopsy the patient was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. The lesion was located at the cervical esophagus, a challenging location for performing endoscopic procedures. Thus, argon plasma coagulation (APC) was performed eight times over five years, and local control was achieved. The cervical esophagus, which is the physical esophageal narrowing, is difficult to observe by endoscopy, and operation or chemoradiotherapy for advanced CESCC is invasive. Because metachronous squamous cell carcinoma, or field cancerization, is commonly observed, it is important to perform endoscopy for the cervical esophagus after TESCC operation for diagnosis and treatment at the early stages.
