BACKGROUND: Medical literature has recorded a significant and progressive increase in the prevalence of esophageal adenocarcinoma in recent years, and this fact has epidemiological importance in the treatment, in the evolution and prognosis of patients. AIM: A retrospective study of esophageal tumors in university hospital, analyzing the prevalence of squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas, their locations, histological types, habits, characteristics, color, sex, age and origin of patients. METHODS: Were reviewed the medical records of surgical patients treated for adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus in the period 1983 to 2010. RESULTS: The 306 patients were distributed as follows: 192 (62.7%) patients with squamous cell carcinoma and 114 (37.3%) adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. All patients underwent surgical resection (esophagectomy) with curative intent. Among the cases with squamous cell carcinoma 80.7% were white, 11.5% mulatto, 7.8% black, 88.0% male, 12.0% female, mean age of 54.7 years, 88.0% were smokers and 77.7% were alcoholics. Among patients with adenocarcinoma 92.1% were white, 6.1% mixed race, 1.8% black, 85.1% male, 14.9% female, mean age 57.9 years; 66 , 7% were smokers and 45.6% were alcoholics. CONCLUSION: Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus has shown a higher incidence in recent years and this fact has epidemiological importance, in the treatment to be instituted, in the evolution and prognosis of patients.
Esophageal neoplasms; Neoplasms, squamous cell; Adenocarcinoma; Esophagectomy
