[Oat-cell carcinoma of the esophagus: presentation of two cases and literature review].

OBJECTIVE Our objective is to contribute an updated view on a condition as rare as oat-cell carcinoma of the esophagus by reviewing the literature and reporting two recent patients seen in our department. MATERIAL AND METHOD A retrospective study with a review of all medical records of patients seen in our ward and diagnosed with esophageal neoplasm for 6 years (January 2000 to December 2006). RESULTS 249 cases of esophageal neoplasms were found, of them 106 were of squamous ancestry (42.6%), 141 were adenocarcinomas (56.6%), and 2 were oat-cell carcinomas (0.8%). Only in 45 (18%) was surgical resection feasible, 23 underwent palliative surgery (endoprostheses, gastrostomies, and jejunostomies not included) (9.3%), and the rest (181 cases, 72.7%) received derivative surgery or no surgery at all. CONCLUSIONS We can affirm that this neoplasm is highly aggressive, displaying in practically all cases dissemination to other sites; this is a rare cancer that mainly affects men and whose clinical picture is similar to that of other malignancies involving the esophagus.