Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 28, Issue 12 758-761, Copyright © 1998 by Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research
Y Naomoto, JA Perdomo, Y Kamikawa, M Haisa, T Yamatsuji, A Kenzo, K Taguchi, K Hara and N Tanaka
Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is a very rare and deadly
disease, with a survival of 2.2% at 5 years and a median survival of about
10 months. The aggressive biological behavior of this disease and advanced
stage at the time of diagnosis together with the lack of effective
treatment have contributed to its poor prognosis. We present the case of a
45-year-old Japanese man diagnosed as having a primary melanoma of the
esophagus by clinical evaluation and a histological examination of
endoscopic biopsy specimens. A novel approach consisting of pre- and
post-operative chemo-hormone therapy with dacarbazine, nimustine, cisplatin
and tamoxifen in conjunction with radical esophagectomy accompanied by
lymph node dissection was carried out. The tumor size was decreased to 70%
by the pre-operative chemo-hormone therapy. During the post-operative 32
months of follow-up, no evidence of recurrence or metastatic disease has
been found. Although this is only one case, the outcome observed suggests
that the combination of pre- and post-operative chemo-hormone therapy and
radical esophagectomy with lymph node dissection is a modality that can
increase the possibility of curability or at least improve the survival of
patients with primary melanoma of the esophagus.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus: report of a case successfully treated with pre- and post-operative adjuvant hormone-chemotherapy
First Department of Surgery, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
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