A long-surviving patient with advanced esophageal basaloid squamous cell carcinoma treated only with radiotherapy: case report and literature review

Abstract

BackgroundEsophageal basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (EBSCC) is a rare malignant disease. Advanced EBSCC (AEBSCC) has a poorer prognosis than the more common esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but no treatment policy has yet been established. This is the first reported case with AEBSCC treated only with radiotherapy. Thus, our long-surviving patient merits consideration. We therefore reviewed cases with the same stage of AEBSCC for further investigation.Case presentationAn 85-year-old man with a chief complaint of difficulty swallowing foods was diagnosed with AEBSCC, cT3N1M0, stage III, by thorough examination. The basaloid carcinoma extended from the upper thoracic esophagus to the middle thoracic esophagus based on imaging studies, endoscopy and biopsy.Morphologically, the tumor was an elevated ulcerative area. We conducted radiotherapy to relieve symptoms, as the patient and his family refused aggressive treatment. He has remained alive without recurrence for 2 years, to date, after completing radiotherapy.ConclusionsBasaloid carcinoma might be highly sensitive to radiotherapy. Thus, radiotherapy for local control might be beneficial for elderly patients with complications and those refusing aggressive treatment.

Differential expression of claudin‑4, occludin, SOX2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen between basaloid squamous cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

“…We will attempt use more BSCC cases, collaborating with other universities in future research. clinically, BScc is highly sensitive to radiotherapy (4,19). Scc, on the other hand, is not sensitive.…”

Beyond Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus

“…However, recent studies suggest that BSCC might be highly sensitive to radiotherapy. There is a case report of an 86-year-old male with advanced BSCC who underwent radiotherapy alone with no recurrence for two years at the time the study was published in 2017 [ 14 ]. Maebayashi et al also compared nine case reports of patients with advanced esophageal BSCC; resection was performed in all nine cases with three of those nine also receiving radiotherapy additionally.…”

“…Maebayashi et al also compared nine case reports of patients with advanced esophageal BSCC; resection was performed in all nine cases with three of those nine also receiving radiotherapy additionally. Two of the three who had received radiotherapy with surgery had a longer survival time than the median survival time of 13 months in the group [ 14 ]. There’s also another case report of a 59-year old male with esophageal BSCC who underwent endoscopic resection followed by radiation and the patient remained in remission without recurrence for 35 months when the study was published in 2018 [ 15 ].…”

Does protruding type 1 esophageal cancer really have a good response to radiation therapy?—a retrospective observational study

“…Hence, biopsy of the superficial portion of such a type 1 tumor may result in a diagnosis of SCC (19). We have previously reported a case of EBSCC with a good response to RT (20). We assessed the responses of primary lesions to RT endoscopically at a median of 74 days after initiation of RT; however, this may have been too early.…”