Experience with Neuroendocine Carcinoma of Esophagus –  A Decade at a Tertiary Care Centre in South India

Gautam Vydia Vedagiri; Sadanand S; Ramanaiah K; Gayathri K; Arun Kumar M N; Venkatraman Radhakrishnan; Arvind Krishnamoorthy

doi:10.31557/apjec.1909.20260107

Authors

Gautam Vydia Vedagiri Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute (Wia), Adyar, Chennai, India.
Sadanand S Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute (Wia), Adyar, Chennai, India.
Ramanaiah K Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute (Wia), Adyar, Chennai, India.
Gayathri K Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute (Wia), Adyar, Chennai, India.
Arun Kumar M N Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute (Wia), Adyar, Chennai, India.
Venkatraman Radhakrishnan Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute (Wia), Adyar, Chennai, India.
Arvind Krishnamoorthy Department of Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute (Wia), Adyar, Chennai, India.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31557/apjec.1909.20260107

Keywords:

Esophageal neuroendocrine carcinoma, IHC, retrospective analysis, chemoradiotherapy

Abstract

Background: Esophageal neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with limited data on clinicopathologic features, treatment outcomes, and prognostic factors. This study aims to evaluate the clinical and pathological characteristics, survival outcomes in patients with esophageal NEC.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted from 2012 to 2024 at our institute. All patients who were diagnosed with esophageal NEC were identified through the electronic medical records. Data on demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes were collected. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methodology, and subgroup analyses were performed to assess the impact of histological subtypes and treatment approaches.

Results: The cohort included 12 males and 12 females, with a mean age of 56 years (SD: ±11 years). The most common tumor locations were the mid (38%) and lower thoracic esophagus (33%). Median PFS and OS were 5 months (SD: ±3.9 months) and 6.3 months (SD: ±5.5 months), respectively. Most common modality of treatment was palliative chemotherapy for metastatic patients and concurrent chemo radiotherapy for non-metastatic patients. At the last follow-up, 75% of patients had succumbed to the disease, highlighting its aggressive nature.

Conclusions: Esophageal NEC is characterized by poor survival outcomes despite multimodal therapy. The findings underscore the need for prospective studies and novel therapeutic approaches, including targeted therapies and immunotherapy, to improve outcomes for this rare malignancy.