A Case of Superficial Esophageal Cancer with Suspected Endobronchial Metastasis after Radical Esophagectomy

Abstract

An 85-year-old man underwent subtotal esophagectomy through right thoracotomy, with 3-field lymph node dissection, retrosternal route gastric tube reconstruction, and catheter jejunostomy with a diagnosis of thoracic esophageal cancer (Ut, cT2N0M0, cStage I). It was histologically diagnosed as carcinosarcoma and the tumor depth was pT1b-SM3. The resection margin and circumferential margin were negative of cancer. He was discharged 24 days after the surgery and had been followed as an outpatient. Although he did not have any symptoms, a metastatic lesion was found in the trachea by a follow-up CT scan conducted one year after the surgery. The cytology of sputum revealed squamous cell carcinoma and tracheal metastasis of esophageal cancer was strongly suspected. Only palliative radiation treatment was taken for the purpose of airway preserving, but then respiratory distress occurred, and he died 8 months after recurrence or one year and 8 months after the surgery. There are very few reports of tracheal metastasis after radical resection of esophageal cancer.