Cause of Death in Carcinoma of the Esophagus

Carcinoma of the esophagus continues to carry a very poor prognosis. Previous studies have rarely reported the exact cause of death in these patients. Twenty‐five autopsies were retrospectively reviewed in patients with the diagnosis of carcinoma of the esophagus, noting the cause of death. Two‐thirds of all patients with unresected middle‐third lesions ultimately died as a result of direct extension of the tumor into the aorta or tracheobronchial tree. Other findings included a high incidence of second neoplasms (12%) and the lack of an antemortem diagnosis of esophageal cancer in three of four females in the series.