ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Scoring System for Esophageal Cancer Requires Other Considerations

by Peter C. Belafsky, MD, PhD • November 1, 2010

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

Can a simple scoring system identify individuals at high risk of esophageal cancer?1

You Might Also Like

  • Researchers Find Evidence of Esophageal-Nasal Reflex
  • Primary Radiation vs. Primary Surgical Therapy for Cervical Esophageal Cancer
  • Recannulation Possible for Esophageal Stricture Using Anterograde-Retrograde Rendezvous Procedure
  • Elderly Patients with Laryngeal Squamous Cell Cancer Benefit from Higher Quality Care
Explore This Issue
November 2010

Background: The prevalence of esophageal cancer is rapidly expanding. The prognosis for late stage esophageal cancer is dismal, and survival depends on early diagnosis and treatment. Limitations in health care resources preclude screening all individuals with dysphagia.

Study design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: University Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland

Synopsis: Parameters independently associated with an elevated risk of esophageal cancer on multivariate analysis were age, male gender, dysphagia localized to chest and weight loss greater than 3 kg. The presence of symptoms of acid reflux and duration of symptoms longer than six months were associated with a lower risk of malignancy. Researchers developed a grading scale based on these risk factors, called the Edinburgh Dysphagia Score (EDS). An EDS > 3.4 displayed a sensitivity of 97.5 to 100 and a specificity of only 35.1 to 39.8. The scoring system did not evaluate the presence of extraesophageal reflux symptoms such as cough, globus, throat clearing and excessive throat mucus that have been identified as possible risk factors for esophageal cancer.2

Bottom line: In patients with dysphagia, male gender, advancing age, dysphagia localized to the chest, weight loss greater than 3 kg, the absence of reflux symptoms and symptoms shorter than six months duration are all independent risk factors for esophageal carcinoma. These factors should be considered when assessing the urgency of endoscopic evaluation of the esophagus. A scoring system based on these parameters displayed high sensitivity but poor specificity in predicting the presence of esophageal cancer. A limitation of the EDS is that it does not account for extraesophageal reflux symptoms that may be more predictive of the presence of esophageal cancer.

Citations

  1. Rhatigan E, Tyrmpas I, Murray G, et al. Scoring system to identify patients at high risk of oesophageal cancer [published online ahead of print August 24, 2010]. Br J Surg.
  2. Reavis KM, Morris CD, Gopal DV, et al. Laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms better predict the presence of esophageal adenocarcinoma than typical gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. Ann Surg. 2004;239(6):849-856; discussion 856-858.

—Reviewed by Peter C. Belafsky, MD, PhD

Filed Under: Laryngology, Literature Reviews Tagged With: clinical, esophageal cancer, risk assessment, scoring systemIssue: November 2010

You Might Also Like:

  • Researchers Find Evidence of Esophageal-Nasal Reflex
  • Primary Radiation vs. Primary Surgical Therapy for Cervical Esophageal Cancer
  • Recannulation Possible for Esophageal Stricture Using Anterograde-Retrograde Rendezvous Procedure
  • Elderly Patients with Laryngeal Squamous Cell Cancer Benefit from Higher Quality Care

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Experts Delve into Treatment Options for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
    • Otolaryngologists Have a Major Role to Play in Treating COVID-19 Long-Haulers
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • New Developments in the Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Eustachian Tuboplasty: A Potential New Option for Chronic Tube Dysfunction and Patulous Disease
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Podcasts Becoming More Popular Method of Education for Otolaryngologists
    • How to Embrace Optimism in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Tips on How to Approach Conversations with Patients about the COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Steps You Should Take to Protect Your Voice and Hearing During Telemedicine Sessions
    • Routine Postoperative Adjunct Treatments Unnecessary for Idiopathic Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks

Polls

Have you spoken with your patients about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2021 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.