Surgical treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus.

During the period 1976-1983, a total of 72 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus were seen. Exploration was undertaken in 62 patients and all those explored had their tumours resected. The overall operative mortality rate was 12.9 per cent. Overall survival rates were 49 per cent at 1 year, 31 per cent at 2 years and 11.5 per cent at 5 years.