Radiological Assessment of Esophageal Malignancies

Contrast barium studies have been accepted as the most radiological technique for diagnosing esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer is one of the most lethal of all neoplasms. We aimed to evaluate the radiological aspects of patients with esophageal cancers seen at our center. We evaluated 80 patients with cancer of esophagus presenting at radiotherapy department of Imam Khomeini hospital, Tabriz, Iran, between January 2005 and September 2007. The evaluation included radiological aspects, pathological and demographic characteristics patients with esophagus cancer. Location, size, histologic type and cardia involvement of tumors were assessed. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. There were 50 males and 30 females, with a median age of 58.4 years (range 30-90). Among 80 patients diagnosed with esophagal cancer, 72/80 (90%) were included SCC and 8/80 (10%) as adenocarcinoma. 41/80 (51.3%) were located in the lower third esophagus. The most location of tumors was middle third esophagus in females and lower third esophagus in males. Involving cardia observed in 8/8 (100%) of adenocarcinoma. 36.1% of lesions were infiltrative in SCC vs 12.5% in adenocarcinoma. Cardia Vegetation and stagnation were most frequent in adenocarcinoma. This approach suggests that cardia involvment combine with vegetation and stagnation can be useful tool in evaluating esophageal cancers in the lower third esophagus