Current nature and management of cancer of the oesophagus and cardia

Aims: To inform the debate about upper gastrointestinal cancer care in the UK, the incidence of cancer of the oesophagus and cardia (OGJ) was determined in the West Midlands, a region covering 10 per cent of England and Wales, with particular reference to the methods of treatment. METHODS: The case-notes of 2776 patients diagnosed with oesophageal and OGJ cancer in the 5 years from 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1996 were scrutinized by one experienced surgeon. Tumour types were classified by histology and site, and treatment modalities assessed for 30-day mortality rate together with life-table analyses. RESULTS: Oesophageal cancer was identified in 2188 patients (61 per cent lower, 34 per cent middle, 4 per cent upper), including 999 squamous carcinomas (27 per cent lower, 64 per cent middle, 9 per cent upper) and 995 adenocarcinomas (97 per cent lower, 3 per cent middle), while there were 588 cases of OGJ cancer (94 per cent adenocarcinomas). Resection was the commonest treatment (865 cases; 31 per cent), with a mortality rate of 10 per cent for oesophageal and 4 per cent for OGJ cancer. Palliative resection had a higher mortality rate than radiotherapy (9 versus 3 per cent), compared with 22 per cent for endoscopic palliation, while the 30-day mortality rate was 30 per cent for the 308 patients given no treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Squamous carcinomas and adenocarcinomas of the oesophageal body are now equally common; lower-third and OGJ tumours are predominantly adenocarcinomas. This study provides baseline data for critical appraisal of potential changes in the delivery of upper gastrointestinal cancer in the UK.