SMALL CELL CARCINOMA OF ESOPHAGUS: A CASE SERIES OF SIX PATIENTS

Objective: To study the clinicopathological and oncological outcomes of all the patients presenting with a diagnosis of small cell carcinoma of the esophagus at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center (SKMCH&RC). Methodology: From 1997 to 2017 all patients with a diagnosis of small cell carcinoma of the esophagus were included in the study. Demographic variables were collected. Clinico-pathological outcomes of disease were recorded. All data were entered and analyzed in SPSS ver 21. Results: A total of 6 patients were included in the study. The median age was 63.5 +/- 8.09 years. There were 1 male and 5 female patients. The most common presentation was dysphagia in all 6 patients. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was used to detect the location and diagnosis of the disease. A computed tomography scan is used for staging the disease. All patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, one patient had surgical resection of the tumour. Almost all patients developed metastases or progression of the disease. Conclusion: Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus is rare and needs to be managed aggressively. All patients are best treated with formal systemic and local treatment.