Nodal Status in Adenocarcinoma of the Esophagus an Cardia

Overview

Adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus and cardia are grouped among the thoracic tumors according to the TNM 7th ed., however controversy is pending on the unique or dual pathogenesis (GERD or gastric-like cancerogenesis). It has been shown that biological patterns differ according to the presence (+) or absence (-) of Barrett's epithelium (BIM) and gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) in the fundus and antrum. Lymphatic metastatic spreading may differ according to the type of tumor. The investigators retrospectively investigated the pathways of lymphatic spreading in 194 consecutive patients who received radical surgery for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and cardia with or without BIM and GIM.

The assumption that adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and cardia (ADEC) originates only from the sequence intestinal metaplasia followed by dysplasia and cancer is controversial. It has been shown that biological patterns differ according to the presence (+) absence (-) of Barrett's epithelium (BIM) and of gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) in the fundus and antrum. Lymphatic metastatic spreading may differ according to the type of tumor. Preoperatively patients underwent histological search for Barrett's esophagus (BIM) in mucosa surrounding (ADEC) and intestinal metaplasia in the gastric corpus and antrum mucosa (GIM). Patients in which BIM was documented underwent sub total esophagectomy and gastric pull up (group 1), others underwent esophagectomy at the azygos vein + total gastrectomy with Roux Y esophagojejunostomy (group 2). Radical lymphadenectomy was identical in both procedures except for the greater curvature station.

Conditions