Basaloid squamous carcinoma (BSC) of the esophagus has been associated with a poor outcome after surgery. We herein report two patients with esophageal BSC treated by preoperative chemotherapy. Patient 1 was a 55-year-old man who presented with a tumor of the middle esophagus diagnosed as BSC. He was treated by chemotherapy using a combination of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU: 750 mg/m(2), 1st-5th day, 24-h continuous infusion) and cisplatin (CDDP: 75 mg/m(2), 1st day, drip infusion per 2 h) before surgery, because of lymph node metastases of the mediastinum and around the left gastric artery. Even though the metastatic nodes were reduced and an esophagectomy was performed, the patient died of recurrence 12 months after chemotherapy. Patient 2 was a 57-year-old man who demonstrated BSC of the esophagus with direct invasion to the discending aorta, who was treated by preoperative chemotherapy using the same regimen as that of patient 1. The esophageal tumor was reduced, and a curative esophagectomy was performed. The patient is now alive without recurrence 38 months after chemotherapy. In conclusion, preoperative chemotherapy using a combination of 5-FU and CDDP may thus be an effective treatment for patients with advanced BSC of the esophagus.

We report a rare case of schwannoma of the breast that occurred in a 79-year-old woman who did not have von Recklinghausenʼs disease. The patient complained of a growing mass and pain in her left breast for more than 6 years. An elastic-hard, smooth, movable tumor measuring 2.5cm × 2.3cm was palpable in the lower inner quadrant of the left breast. Mammography showed a high-density oval lesion with a smooth outline in the lower inner area of the left breast. Ultrasonography of the breast revealed a hypo echogenic, heterogeneous well-defined mass, which led to suspicion of a fibroadenoma or phyllodes tumor. An excisional biopsy was performed, and microscopic examination revealed interlacing bundles of spindle-shaped cells and nuclear palisading. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the tumor cells were diffusely positive for S-100 protein. These findings were compatible with schwannoma. If a tumor has a clear boundary, the possibility of a schwannoma should be kept in mind when making the preoperative diagnosis.

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