Clinical Analysis of Combined Hypopharyngeal Cancer and Esophageal Cancer with Esophageal Reconstruction.

Head and neck cancer has been reported to be frequently associated with cancer of the esophagus and the stomach. Esophago-gastric endoscopy combined with esophageal iodine staining was performed in a total of 181 patients with head and neck cancer, and esophageal cancer was detected in 19 cases and gastric cancer in 16 cases. In 30 cases of hypopharyngeal cancer, esophageal cancer was detected in 9 cases and dysplasia of the esophagus in 6 cases. Twelve of 30 cases underwent total esophagectomy with reconstruction of the stomach or colon. All cases of hypopharyngeal cancer associated with esophageal cancer or dysplasia were of the piriform sinus type or the postcricoid type. On the other hand, no cancerous or dysplastic changes were detected in the esophagus in the posterior type of hypopharyngeal cancer. Therefore, total esophagectomy was necessary for treatment of the piriform sinus type and postcricoid type of hypopharyngeal cancer to improve prognosis.