Radiological criteria for differentiation of esophageal cancers

Objectives: Esophageal cancer is one of the most lethal of all neoplasms. Contrast barium studies have been accepted as the most radiological technique for diagnosing esophageal cancer. We aimed to evaluate the radiological aspects of patients with esophageal cancers seen at our center. Methods: We evaluated 80 patients with cancer of esophagus presenting at 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 cardiac involvement of tumors were assessed. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results. There were 50 males and 30 females, with a median age of 58.4 years (rang 30-90). Among 80 patients with esophageal cancer, 72/80 (90%) were diagnosed as SCC and the remaining 8/80 (10%)as adenocarcinoma. 41/80 (51.3%) were located in the lower third esophagus. The most common location of tumors was middle third of esophagus in females and lower third of esophagus in males. involvement of cardia was observed in 8/8 (100%) of adenocarcinoma. 36.1% of lesions were infiltrative in SCC vs. 12.5% in adenocarcinoma. Cardia involvement, vegetation and stagnation were most freqent in adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: This approach suggests that cardiac involvement combine with vegetation and stagnation can be useful tool in diagnosis of adenocarcinoma in the lower third esophagus