초록
식도암은 다른 암종에 비해서 예후가 좋지 못하며, 최근 외과적 수술의 근치적 절제율의 발달과 항암화학방사선동시요법이 효과적이라는 보고들은 있으나, 진행성 식도암의 경우에 있어서는 부분관해에 이르는 것이 대부분이며, 한계가 있는 것이 사실이다. 저자들은 80세 남자가 한 달 전부터 발생한 연하곤란을 주소로 내원하였으며, 식도암 및 암종의 주기관지로의 함입, 다발성의 전이성 림프절 비대를 보여 진행성 식도암으로 진단을 받았다. 그러나 환자가 고령이라는 점, 전신상태가 좋지 못한 점, 식도암이 주기관지까지 함입되어 있어 방사선치료 후 누공이 발생할 가능성 등을 염두하여 고식적인 항암화학요법만을 시행하였으나, 총 6차에 걸친 항암화학요법 후에 완전 관해에 이른 드문 증례를 경험하였다.
Esophageal cancer has a poor prognosis, because the progression rate is faster compared to that of other cancers, Up to 30-40% of cases are inoperable at diagnosis, and most cases occur in the elderly. By this time, surgery has been regarded as the treatment of choice in patients suffering esophageal cancer and recent improvements in surgical techniques and perioperative management have significantly increased the resection rate and reduced the operative mortality. And Although the combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy has been reported to be an effective treatment for esophageal cancer, most cases show only partial remission. Moreover, radiation therapy alone or chemotherapy alone has limited efficacy. We report a rare case of an 80-year-old man who presented with a chief complaint of dysphasia and was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer, with a review of the literature. Considering his advanced age, generally poor performance status, and the risk of fistula development after radiation therapy due to indentation of esophageal cancer into the main bronchus, palliative, rather than therapeutic, chemotherapy was performed, and complete remission was obtained.