No abstract

In the present review we have collected 127 carcinosarcomas and 56 pseudosarcomas of the esophagus from the literature. There were no significant differences in age, sex, symptoms, location, or stalk involvement between the two groups. Infiltrative lesions were observed in 7.5% and 4.0%, respectively. The rate of lymph node metastasis was 52.5% for carcinosarcoma and 45.0% for pseudosarcoma. The resectability was similar in the two groups, and the recurrence rates were 38.0% and 45.5%, respectively. Although recent immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies suggested that carcinosarcoma and pseudosarcoma are a single pathologic entity of epithelial origin, no one has ever compared the clinical behavior of the two entities. Our study showed that the two neoplasms have similar clinical and behavioral outcomes. These findings support, once more, the unifying theory; and we suggest that the definition of "polypoid spindle cell carcinoma of the esophagus" be adopted.

In patients with BE, LARS provides excellent control of symptoms and esophageal acid exposure. Moreover, intestinal metaplasia regressed in the majority of patients who had short-segment BE and normal pH monitoring following LARS, a fact that was, heretofore, not appreciated. LARS should be recommended to patients with BE to quell symptoms and to prevent the development of cancer.

No abstract

The results of our study suggest that surgical treatment may be more effective than medical therapy to modify the natural history of LGD in patients with BE, perhaps because it not only controls acid but also biliopancreatic reflux into the esophagus.