In 2019, the patient underwent treatment for stage III esophageal cancer at Bach Mai Hospital. He received chemoradiotherapy and surgery to remove his esophagus and lymph nodes, with his stomach then reconstructed to replace the esophagus. During a recent checkup at 198 Hospital, doctors discovered a malignant lesion in the stomach section that was used in the previous reconstruction.
A biopsy confirmed signet ring cell carcinoma of the stomach, a rapidly progressing and difficult-to-treat form of cancer. He was transferred to Hanoi Cancer Hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with stomach cancer cT3N0M0, following his prior esophageal cancer treatment. To ensure complete treatment, the medical team decided to remove his entire stomach, perform a radical lymphadenectomy, and reconstruct his esophagus using a segment of his left colon.
Associate Professor, Dr. Le Van Thanh, Deputy Director of the hospital and Head of the General Surgery Department, described the procedure as a complex surgery. Reconstructing the esophagus using the colon requires ensuring the proper length and blood supply to the graft, while also considering anatomical changes from the previous surgery.
Surgeons brought the colon segment up to the chest and neck to connect it with the remaining part of the esophagus, fully replacing the digestive function of the removed stomach. The patient recovered well, resumed eating quickly, and was discharged after 8 days.
Post-operative pathology confirmed stage III stomach cancer. The patient will continue with adjuvant chemotherapy.
Dr. Thanh stated that the surgery successfully removed the entire cancerous mass and preserved the patient's natural eating and digestive functions, avoiding the need for a stoma or long-term alternative feeding methods. This is crucial for improving the patient's quality of life after cancer treatment.
Esophageal cancer is the fifth most common gastrointestinal cancer, following stomach, colon, rectal, and liver cancers. According to GLOBOCAN 2020, with over 3,200 new cases and over 3,000 deaths annually, esophageal cancer is a significant burden on individuals and society. 70% of patients are diagnosed in the late stages, when the tumor has already spread to surrounding tissues or metastasized to lymph nodes or distant organs. Treatment at this stage is more challenging, with lower efficacy and survival rates.
This cancer is more common in older people; the older one gets, the higher the risk. To detect esophageal cancer early, individuals should pay attention to bodily changes. Symptoms like fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, etc., warrant immediate medical attention.
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