[Oat cell carcinoma of the esophagus]

Abstract

Extrapulmonary locations of undifferentiated small cell carcinoma of the "oat cell" type are uncommon. In spite of its rarity, the appearance of this type of tumor has been described in various organs of the economy. Of these, the esophagus is the most common location, constituting 0.05 to 7.6% of esophageal carcinomas. Of uncertain histopathologic origin, these tumors are characterized by their extreme aggressiveness, which carries a poor short term prognosis. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, separately or in combination, have produced discouraging results in the treatment of primitive esophageal "oat cell" carcinoma. In this paper are presented four cases of esophageal "oat cell" carcinoma treated in the Hospital de la Santa Cruz y San Pablo in 1979-1988, out of a total of 260 carcinomas in the same location. The clinical evolution and pathological findings of this type of tumor are commented. The literature on this unusual histological type of carcinoma is reviewed.