Carcinosarcoma of the esophagus

Carcinosarcoma of the esophagus is a rare neoplasm of the esophagus, composes both of carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements. From Oct. 1982 to Sept. 1991, there were 516 neoplasms of the esophagus, 2 (0.39%) carcinosarcoma, treated at our hospital. The first patient was a 62-year-old man, pathological stage III (T3N2M0). The second patient was a 68-year-old man, pathological stage I (T1N0M0). The tumors were polypoid and located at the middle portion of the esophagus. They had received subtotal esophagectomy, mediastinal lymph node dissection and cervical esophagogastrostomy, retrosternally. The first patient has still lived disease free for seven years. The second patient died one year after the operation due to intra-abdominal lymphadenopathy, liver metastasis and massive ascites. As epidermoid carcinoma, radical esophagectomy with lymph node dissection is the standard procedure for carcinosarcoma of the esophagus.