The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 38, 207-210, Copyright © 1984 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Long-term survival following diverticulectomy for cancer in pharyngoesophageal (Zenker's) diverticulum
BS Huang, KK Unni and WS Payne
The incidence of cancer in a pharyngoesophageal (Zenker's) diverticulum was
0.4% among 1,249 patients treated for such diverticula at the Mayo Clinic
in a 53-year period. Twenty-four patients with squamous cell carcinoma
arising in a pharyngoesophageal diverticulum have been reported by others.
However, most of the patients died of the malignancy within 2 years of
treatment, and there were no long-term survivors. We describe 2 long-term
survivors who were without evidence of tumor or diverticulum recurrence 4
1/4 and 8 years after one-stage pharyngoesophageal diverticulectomy. Review
of the literature revealed that most patients with cancer in
pharyngoesophageal diverticulum should be managed in a manner similar to
that for patients with ordinary cervical esophageal malignancy. However,
our data suggest that when the tumor is well localized without
full-thickness penetration, nodal metastasis, or extension to the line of
resection (as in the 2 patients discussed), diverticulectomy alone can
provide satisfactory control of cancer with minimal therapeutic risk.
