Tumor length, traversability, tnm staging, and eus accuracy in esophageal cancer - A four-year experience at a university hospital

Methods: Consecutive patients with biopsies or resected specimens diagnosed as esophageal carcinoma from 07-1991 to 04-1995 were identified from the Pathology database. Demographics and endoscopic findings of patients who had undergone EUS examinations were then reviewed and analyzed for correlation between the length of the tumor and the TNM staging, the age of patients and the type of tumors with respect to the traversability of the echo-endoscope and the accuracy of EUS. Results: From this listing, 56 patients (mean age 63, age range 35-85, 50 men) were investigated with a radial 13.2 mm echo-endoscope. Complete EUS examination was not possible in 11, despite dilations in 6 patients. There was no age or historical difference between the EUS-complete and EUS-incomplete groups. In patients who had a complete EUS examination, T-staging and N-staging accuracy was 76% and 57%, respectively. The Pearson's Correlation Coefficient r between the length of the tumors, and pathologic T, N, and group staging were: 0.34 (p= .13), 0.51 (p=.019), and 0.60 (p=0.004), respectively. All patients tolerated the procedure(s) well. Conclusions: 1- The length of esophageal tumors is statistically correlated with TNM group staging and N staging, but not with T staging. 2- There is no discerning historical information or age difference in this group of patients to predict successful passage of an echoendoscope. 3- EUS is more accurate with T staging than N staging.