Value of oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy in diagnosis of synchronous
malignancies in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas: a
10-year single center experience in Chinese population.
Abstract
Title Value of oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy in diagnosis of
synchronous malignancies in patients with head and neck squamous cell
carcinomas: a 10-year single center experience in Chinese population.
Objectives Routine screening of patients with head and neck squamous
cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) for synchronous malignancies using
oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy had been controversial. The aim of this
study is therefore to find out the rate of synchronous malignancies in
patients with primary HNSCCs, the risk factors for its occurrence and
the effectiveness of oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy in a single center
with Chinese population. Method A retrospective review of medical
records was conducted from July 2008 to June 2018 in a tertiary referral
center in Hong Kong. All patients with newly diagnosed HNSCCs were
screened with oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy at the time of diagnosis
and therefore all patients were included in the study. The incidence of
synchronous malignancies along the aerodigestive tract and the yield of
oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy were studied. Result Of the 702 patients
included in the study, the overall rate of synchronous malignancies was
8.3% (58/702), with the rate of synchronous esophageal and lung
malignancies being 5.8% (41/702) and 0.85% (6/702) respectively. 14
out of the 41 esophageal malignancies were only detectable with
esophagoscopy. Only one of the synchronous lung malignancies was
detectable by bronchoscopy. Risk factors for synchronous malignancies
include male gender, smokers, drinkers and primary hypopharyngeal
cancer. Conclusion Oesophagoscopy is essential for detecting synchronous
esophageal malignancies in patients with HNSCC especially in male
patients, smokers, drinkers and primary hypopharyngeal cancer patients.
Bronchoscopy had a low yield for synchronous lung malignancies and can
be potentially replaced by imaging techniques.