AIM To determine whether the presence of columnar-lined esophagus(CLE) is associated with the presence of esophageal varices(EVs) in male Japanese alcoholics. METHODS The subjects were 1614 Japanese alcohol-dependent ...AIM To determine whether the presence of columnar-lined esophagus(CLE) is associated with the presence of esophageal varices(EVs) in male Japanese alcoholics. METHODS The subjects were 1614 Japanese alcohol-dependent men(≥ 40 years of age) who had undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopic screening. Digitalized records of high-quality endoscopic images that included the squamocolumnar junction and esophagogastric junction were retrospectively jointly reviewed by four expert endoscopists for the purpose of diagnosing CLE. The authors investigated whether and to what extent there were associations between the presence of CLE and the presence of EVs, especially in the group with liver cirrhosis(LC).RESULTS CLE ≥ 5 mm in length was found in 355 subjects(≥ 30 mm in 6 of them), LC without EVs in 152 subjects, LC with EVs in 174 subjects, and EVs without LC in 6 subjects. Advanced EVs, i.e., nodular, large or coiled forms, red color sign, or post-treatment, were found in 88 subjects. The incidence of CLE ≥ 5 mm decreased in the following order(P < 0.0001): 23.3% in the group without EVs, 17.4% in the group with small and straight EVs, and 5.7% in the group with advanced EVs. The multivariate ORs(95%CI) for EVs and advanced EVs in the group with LC were lower when CLE ≥ 5 mm was present [0.46(0.23-0.93) and 0.24(0.08-0.74), respectively, vs 0-4 mm CLE]. CONCLUSION The presence of CLE in male Japanese alcoholics was negatively associated with the presence of EVs.展开更多
BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal schwannomas are slow-growing benign mesenchymal neoplasms that originate from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath of Auerbach′s plexus or less frequently from Meissner′s plexus.The main dif...BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal schwannomas are slow-growing benign mesenchymal neoplasms that originate from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath of Auerbach′s plexus or less frequently from Meissner′s plexus.The main differential diagnosis of gastric schwannomas are the gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs),which are classified by their immunohistochemistry.The treatment of choice for gastric schwannomas is surgery where laparoscopy plays an important role.Wedge resection,subtotal or total gastrectomy can be done.In its counterpart,esophageal schwannomas are benign tumors of the esophagus that are very uncommon since they comprise less than 2%of all esophageal tumors.The main differential diagnosis is the leiomyoma which corresponds to the most common benign esophageal tumor,followed by GIST.The treatment consists on tumoral enucleation or esophagectomy.AIM To review the available literature about gastrointestinal schwannomas;especially lesions from de stomach and esophagus,including diagnosis,treatment,and follow up,as well as,reporting our institutional experience.METHODS A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes guidelines.The following databases were used for reviewing process:Pub Med,Ovid,MEDLINE,and Scopus.Only English language manuscripts were included.All gastrointestinal schwannomas specifically located in the esophagus and stomach were included.Cases that did not report long-term follow-up were excluded.RESULTS Gastric localization showed a higher prevalence in both,the literature review and our institution:94.95%(n=317)and 83%(n=5)respectively.With a follow-up with disease-free survival greater than 36 mo in most cases:62.01%(n=80)vs66.66%(n=4).In both groups,the median size was>4.1 cm.Surgical treatment is curative in most cases CONCLUSION Schwannoma must be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors.It has a good prognosis,and most are benign.A disease-free survival of more than 36 mo can be achieved by surgery.展开更多
Breast cancer can infrequently metastasize to the upper gastrointestinal(GI)tract but the exact incidence is not well established-there is considerable variation between incidence reported from clinical studies and in...Breast cancer can infrequently metastasize to the upper gastrointestinal(GI)tract but the exact incidence is not well established-there is considerable variation between incidence reported from clinical studies and incidence noted in autopsy series.Clinical presentation can be very non-specific and often mimics primary gastrointestinal conditions.Endoscopy alone may not be sufficient to make a diagnosis and misdiagnosis is also common.A high degree of awareness and clinical suspicion is required to establish metastases to the upper GI tract.We undertook a comprehensive review of the available literature on breast cancer metastases to the esophagus and stomach including the clinical symptoms and presentation,endoscopic features,additional diagnostic imaging modalities,treatment and outcomes.展开更多
Crohn's disease with involvement of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum has a prevalence of 0.5% to 4% in symptomatic adult patients, but some studies have shown that these results may be underestimated, since upp...Crohn's disease with involvement of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum has a prevalence of 0.5% to 4% in symptomatic adult patients, but some studies have shown that these results may be underestimated, since upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is not performed routinely in the initial evaluation of the disease in adult patients, as it is in the pediatric population. In general, involvement of the upper gastrointestinal tract in Crohn's disease occurs concomitantly with involvement of the lower gastrointestinal tract. The diagnosis depends on clinical,endoscopic, histological and radiological evaluation. The presence of aphthoid ulcers, longitudinal ulcers, bamboo-joint-like appearance, stenoses and fistulas are endoscopic findings suggestive of the disease, and it is important to exclude the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection. The primary histological findings,which facilitate the diagnosis, are the presence of a chronic inflammatory process with a predominance of lymphoplasmacytic cells and active focal gastritis. The presence of epithelioid granuloma, although less frequent, is highly suggestive of the disease in the absence of chronic granulomatous disease. Treatment should include the use of proton pump inhibitors associated with corticosteroids,immunomodulators and biological therapy according to the severity of the disease.展开更多
From September 1985 to December 1992, 160 cases of reconstruction of the esophagus with the whole stomach through the esophageal bed after resection of the upper esophageal carcinoma were performed with neither operat...From September 1985 to December 1992, 160 cases of reconstruction of the esophagus with the whole stomach through the esophageal bed after resection of the upper esophageal carcinoma were performed with neither operative mortality nor intrathoracic complications. The leakage rate of the cervical anastomosis with Gambee's single layer method was 1.2%. The main steps of the operative procedure consisted of : (1) making a right thoracotomy for dissecting and removing the entire thoracic esophagus; (2) laparotomy for mobilizing the whole stomach, constricting it to tube shape and doing a pyloroplasty; and (3) pulling up the mobilized tube-like stomach through the posterior mediastinal space(i.e. the esophageal bed) out of the left neck incision and then the esophagogastrostomy with Gambee's single layer anastomosis was performed.展开更多
AIM： To investigate the clinicopathologic features which predict surgical overall survival in patients with proxima gastric carcinoma involving the esophagus （PGCE）. METHODS： Electronic pathology database establis...AIM： To investigate the clinicopathologic features which predict surgical overall survival in patients with proxima gastric carcinoma involving the esophagus （PGCE）. METHODS： Electronic pathology database established in the Department of Pathology of the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital was searched for consecutive resection cases of proximal gastric carcinoma over the period from May 2004 through July 2009. Each retrieved pa- thology report was reviewed and the cases with tumors crossing the gastroesophageal junction line were se- lected as PGCE. Each tumor was re-staged, following the guidelines on esophageal adenocarcinoma, accord- ing to the 7th edition of the American Joint Commission on Cancer Staging Manual. All histology slides were studied along with the pathology report for a retrospec- tive analysis of 13 clinicopathologic features, i.e., age, gender, Helicobacter pylori （H. pylon} infection, surgical modality, Siewert type, tumor Bormann＇s type, size, dif- ferentiation, histology type, surgical margin, lympho- vascular and perineural invasion, and pathologic stage in relation to survival after surgical resection. Prognos- tic factors for overall survival were assessed with uni- and multi-variate analyses. RESULTS： Patients＇ mean age was 65 years （range： 47-90 years）. The male： female ratio was 3.3. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 87%, 61% and 32%, respectively. By univariate analysis, age, male gender, H. pylori, tumor Bormann＇s type, size, histology type, surgical modality, positive surgical margin, lym- phovascular invasion, and pT stage were not predictive for overall survival; in contrast, perineural invasion （P = 0.003）, poor differentiation （P = 0.0003）, 〉 15 to- tal lymph nodes retrieved （P = 0.008）, positive lymph nodes （P = 0.001）, and distant metastasis （P = 0.005） predicted poor post-operative overall survival. Celiac axis nodal metastasis was associated with significantly worse overall survival （P = 0.007）. By multivariate analysis, ≥ 16 positive nodes （P = 0.018）, lymph node ratio 〉 0.2 （P = 0.003）, and overall pathologic stage （P= 0.002） were independent predictors for poor overa survival after resection. CONCLUSION： Patients with PGCE showed worse over- all survival in elderly, high nodal burden and advanced pathologic stage. This cancer may be more accurately staged as gastric, than esophageal, cancer.展开更多
Dissemination of gastric cancer may usually occur by direct spread through the perigastric tissues to adjacent organ, lymphatic spread, and hematogenous spread. We report a rare case of gastric cancer with mucosal met...Dissemination of gastric cancer may usually occur by direct spread through the perigastric tissues to adjacent organ, lymphatic spread, and hematogenous spread. We report a rare case of gastric cancer with mucosal metastastic lesion on the upper esophagus that was diagnosed by endoscopy and endosonography. A biopsy of the esophageal mass was performed and the pathologic findings with immunohistochemical stain for Mucin-5AC are proved to be identical to that of gastric adenocarcinoma, suggesting metastasis from main lesion of the gastric cancer. The lesion could not be explained by lymphatic or hematogenous spread,and its metastasis mechanism is considered to be different from previous studies. We suggest that the gastroesophageal reflux of cancer cells could be one of the possible metastatic pathways for metastasis of esophagus from an adenocarcinoma of the stomach.展开更多
Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)combined with stomach and esophageal variceal embolization(SEVE)for gastric variceal haemorrhage,and the efficacy with ...Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)combined with stomach and esophageal variceal embolization(SEVE)for gastric variceal haemorrhage,and the efficacy with or without a gastrorenal shunt.Methods A total of 52 patients with gastric variceal bleeding展开更多
Screening of the general population for esophageal cancer and gastric cardia cancer using an occult blood bead detector supplemented by fiberogastroscopy was able to detect 103 cases with early esophageal cancer and g...Screening of the general population for esophageal cancer and gastric cardia cancer using an occult blood bead detector supplemented by fiberogastroscopy was able to detect 103 cases with early esophageal cancer and gastric cardia cancer at Yangzhong County where the incidence was high from Apr. 1986 to Feb. 1992. Among them, there were 47 cancers of esophagus and 56 cancers of gastric cardia through pathological verification.. They took 17.1% (103/604) of the correspouding esophageal and gastric cardia caucers. We thought that about 90% of early esophageal and gastric cardia cancers have symptoms. We should couduct screening for high risk group in the area where the incidence is high at regular intervals. Besides, it is also important to strengthen propaganda for cancer prevention and self-protection for population, to emphasize the diagnosis and recognition of early cancer for medical workers.展开更多
Sleep problems have become a significant public health concern,affecting a large portion of the global population and have been linked to increased morbidity and mortality.The incidence of gastrointestinal(GI)cancers ...Sleep problems have become a significant public health concern,affecting a large portion of the global population and have been linked to increased morbidity and mortality.The incidence of gastrointestinal(GI)cancers continues to rise,posing a substantial burden on healthcare systems worldwide.This editorial aims to delve into the impact of sleep on GI cancers,including esophageal,gastric,colorectal,hepatobiliary,and pancreatic cancer.Recent literature investigating the potential connections between GI cancers and sleep was reviewed.We considered aspects such as sleep duration,sleep disorders,and circadian rhythmicity,in order to explore the underlying mechanisms that can contribute to the development of GI cancers and propose avenues for future research.展开更多
Carcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction(GEJ) is defined as carcinoma that crosses the GEJ line,irrespective of where the tumor epicenter is located.This group of cancer is rare but controversial.Based on study resu...Carcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction(GEJ) is defined as carcinoma that crosses the GEJ line,irrespective of where the tumor epicenter is located.This group of cancer is rare but controversial.Based on study results from the majority of epidemiologic and clinicopathologic investigations carried out in Western countries,this cancer is believed to arise from Barrett's esophagus(BE) and includes both distal esophageal and proximal gastric carcinomas because of similar characteristics in epidemiology,clinicopathology,and molecular pathobiology in relation to BE.As such,the most recent American Joint Committee on Cancer staging manual requires staging all GEJ carcinomas with the rule for esophageal adenocarcinoma(EA).This mandate has been challenged recently by the data from several studies carried out mainly in Chinese patients.The emerging evidence derivedfrom those studies suggests:(1) both BE and EA are uncommon in the Chinese population;(2) almost all GEJ cancers in Chinese arise in the proximal stomach and show the features of proximal gastric cancer,not those of EA;(3) application of the new cancer staging rule to GEJ cancer of Chinese patients cannot stratify patients' prognosis effectively;and(4) prognostic factors of GEJ cancer in Chinese are similar,but not identical,to those of EA.In conclusion,the recent evidence suggests that GEJ cancer in Chinese shows distinct clinicopathologic characteristics that are different from EA.Further investigations in molecular pathology may help illustrate the underlying pathogenesis mechanisms of this cancer in Chinese patients and better manage patients with this fatal disease.展开更多
文摘AIM To determine whether the presence of columnar-lined esophagus(CLE) is associated with the presence of esophageal varices(EVs) in male Japanese alcoholics. METHODS The subjects were 1614 Japanese alcohol-dependent men(≥ 40 years of age) who had undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopic screening. Digitalized records of high-quality endoscopic images that included the squamocolumnar junction and esophagogastric junction were retrospectively jointly reviewed by four expert endoscopists for the purpose of diagnosing CLE. The authors investigated whether and to what extent there were associations between the presence of CLE and the presence of EVs, especially in the group with liver cirrhosis(LC).RESULTS CLE ≥ 5 mm in length was found in 355 subjects(≥ 30 mm in 6 of them), LC without EVs in 152 subjects, LC with EVs in 174 subjects, and EVs without LC in 6 subjects. Advanced EVs, i.e., nodular, large or coiled forms, red color sign, or post-treatment, were found in 88 subjects. The incidence of CLE ≥ 5 mm decreased in the following order(P < 0.0001): 23.3% in the group without EVs, 17.4% in the group with small and straight EVs, and 5.7% in the group with advanced EVs. The multivariate ORs(95%CI) for EVs and advanced EVs in the group with LC were lower when CLE ≥ 5 mm was present [0.46(0.23-0.93) and 0.24(0.08-0.74), respectively, vs 0-4 mm CLE]. CONCLUSION The presence of CLE in male Japanese alcoholics was negatively associated with the presence of EVs.
文摘BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal schwannomas are slow-growing benign mesenchymal neoplasms that originate from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath of Auerbach′s plexus or less frequently from Meissner′s plexus.The main differential diagnosis of gastric schwannomas are the gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs),which are classified by their immunohistochemistry.The treatment of choice for gastric schwannomas is surgery where laparoscopy plays an important role.Wedge resection,subtotal or total gastrectomy can be done.In its counterpart,esophageal schwannomas are benign tumors of the esophagus that are very uncommon since they comprise less than 2%of all esophageal tumors.The main differential diagnosis is the leiomyoma which corresponds to the most common benign esophageal tumor,followed by GIST.The treatment consists on tumoral enucleation or esophagectomy.AIM To review the available literature about gastrointestinal schwannomas;especially lesions from de stomach and esophagus,including diagnosis,treatment,and follow up,as well as,reporting our institutional experience.METHODS A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes guidelines.The following databases were used for reviewing process:Pub Med,Ovid,MEDLINE,and Scopus.Only English language manuscripts were included.All gastrointestinal schwannomas specifically located in the esophagus and stomach were included.Cases that did not report long-term follow-up were excluded.RESULTS Gastric localization showed a higher prevalence in both,the literature review and our institution:94.95%(n=317)and 83%(n=5)respectively.With a follow-up with disease-free survival greater than 36 mo in most cases:62.01%(n=80)vs66.66%(n=4).In both groups,the median size was>4.1 cm.Surgical treatment is curative in most cases CONCLUSION Schwannoma must be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors.It has a good prognosis,and most are benign.A disease-free survival of more than 36 mo can be achieved by surgery.
文摘Breast cancer can infrequently metastasize to the upper gastrointestinal(GI)tract but the exact incidence is not well established-there is considerable variation between incidence reported from clinical studies and incidence noted in autopsy series.Clinical presentation can be very non-specific and often mimics primary gastrointestinal conditions.Endoscopy alone may not be sufficient to make a diagnosis and misdiagnosis is also common.A high degree of awareness and clinical suspicion is required to establish metastases to the upper GI tract.We undertook a comprehensive review of the available literature on breast cancer metastases to the esophagus and stomach including the clinical symptoms and presentation,endoscopic features,additional diagnostic imaging modalities,treatment and outcomes.
文摘Crohn's disease with involvement of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum has a prevalence of 0.5% to 4% in symptomatic adult patients, but some studies have shown that these results may be underestimated, since upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is not performed routinely in the initial evaluation of the disease in adult patients, as it is in the pediatric population. In general, involvement of the upper gastrointestinal tract in Crohn's disease occurs concomitantly with involvement of the lower gastrointestinal tract. The diagnosis depends on clinical,endoscopic, histological and radiological evaluation. The presence of aphthoid ulcers, longitudinal ulcers, bamboo-joint-like appearance, stenoses and fistulas are endoscopic findings suggestive of the disease, and it is important to exclude the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection. The primary histological findings,which facilitate the diagnosis, are the presence of a chronic inflammatory process with a predominance of lymphoplasmacytic cells and active focal gastritis. The presence of epithelioid granuloma, although less frequent, is highly suggestive of the disease in the absence of chronic granulomatous disease. Treatment should include the use of proton pump inhibitors associated with corticosteroids,immunomodulators and biological therapy according to the severity of the disease.
文摘From September 1985 to December 1992, 160 cases of reconstruction of the esophagus with the whole stomach through the esophageal bed after resection of the upper esophageal carcinoma were performed with neither operative mortality nor intrathoracic complications. The leakage rate of the cervical anastomosis with Gambee's single layer method was 1.2%. The main steps of the operative procedure consisted of : (1) making a right thoracotomy for dissecting and removing the entire thoracic esophagus; (2) laparotomy for mobilizing the whole stomach, constricting it to tube shape and doing a pyloroplasty; and (3) pulling up the mobilized tube-like stomach through the posterior mediastinal space(i.e. the esophageal bed) out of the left neck incision and then the esophagogastrostomy with Gambee's single layer anastomosis was performed.
基金Supported by Key Grants from the Science and Technology Development Project of the Nanjing City,No.ZKX05013 and ZKX07011A Special Grant from the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital,Nanjing,China
文摘AIM： To investigate the clinicopathologic features which predict surgical overall survival in patients with proxima gastric carcinoma involving the esophagus （PGCE）. METHODS： Electronic pathology database established in the Department of Pathology of the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital was searched for consecutive resection cases of proximal gastric carcinoma over the period from May 2004 through July 2009. Each retrieved pa- thology report was reviewed and the cases with tumors crossing the gastroesophageal junction line were se- lected as PGCE. Each tumor was re-staged, following the guidelines on esophageal adenocarcinoma, accord- ing to the 7th edition of the American Joint Commission on Cancer Staging Manual. All histology slides were studied along with the pathology report for a retrospec- tive analysis of 13 clinicopathologic features, i.e., age, gender, Helicobacter pylori （H. pylon} infection, surgical modality, Siewert type, tumor Bormann＇s type, size, dif- ferentiation, histology type, surgical margin, lympho- vascular and perineural invasion, and pathologic stage in relation to survival after surgical resection. Prognos- tic factors for overall survival were assessed with uni- and multi-variate analyses. RESULTS： Patients＇ mean age was 65 years （range： 47-90 years）. The male： female ratio was 3.3. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 87%, 61% and 32%, respectively. By univariate analysis, age, male gender, H. pylori, tumor Bormann＇s type, size, histology type, surgical modality, positive surgical margin, lym- phovascular invasion, and pT stage were not predictive for overall survival; in contrast, perineural invasion （P = 0.003）, poor differentiation （P = 0.0003）, 〉 15 to- tal lymph nodes retrieved （P = 0.008）, positive lymph nodes （P = 0.001）, and distant metastasis （P = 0.005） predicted poor post-operative overall survival. Celiac axis nodal metastasis was associated with significantly worse overall survival （P = 0.007）. By multivariate analysis, ≥ 16 positive nodes （P = 0.018）, lymph node ratio 〉 0.2 （P = 0.003）, and overall pathologic stage （P= 0.002） were independent predictors for poor overa survival after resection. CONCLUSION： Patients with PGCE showed worse over- all survival in elderly, high nodal burden and advanced pathologic stage. This cancer may be more accurately staged as gastric, than esophageal, cancer.
文摘Dissemination of gastric cancer may usually occur by direct spread through the perigastric tissues to adjacent organ, lymphatic spread, and hematogenous spread. We report a rare case of gastric cancer with mucosal metastastic lesion on the upper esophagus that was diagnosed by endoscopy and endosonography. A biopsy of the esophageal mass was performed and the pathologic findings with immunohistochemical stain for Mucin-5AC are proved to be identical to that of gastric adenocarcinoma, suggesting metastasis from main lesion of the gastric cancer. The lesion could not be explained by lymphatic or hematogenous spread,and its metastasis mechanism is considered to be different from previous studies. We suggest that the gastroesophageal reflux of cancer cells could be one of the possible metastatic pathways for metastasis of esophagus from an adenocarcinoma of the stomach.
文摘Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)combined with stomach and esophageal variceal embolization(SEVE)for gastric variceal haemorrhage,and the efficacy with or without a gastrorenal shunt.Methods A total of 52 patients with gastric variceal bleeding
文摘Screening of the general population for esophageal cancer and gastric cardia cancer using an occult blood bead detector supplemented by fiberogastroscopy was able to detect 103 cases with early esophageal cancer and gastric cardia cancer at Yangzhong County where the incidence was high from Apr. 1986 to Feb. 1992. Among them, there were 47 cancers of esophagus and 56 cancers of gastric cardia through pathological verification.. They took 17.1% (103/604) of the correspouding esophageal and gastric cardia caucers. We thought that about 90% of early esophageal and gastric cardia cancers have symptoms. We should couduct screening for high risk group in the area where the incidence is high at regular intervals. Besides, it is also important to strengthen propaganda for cancer prevention and self-protection for population, to emphasize the diagnosis and recognition of early cancer for medical workers.
文摘Sleep problems have become a significant public health concern,affecting a large portion of the global population and have been linked to increased morbidity and mortality.The incidence of gastrointestinal(GI)cancers continues to rise,posing a substantial burden on healthcare systems worldwide.This editorial aims to delve into the impact of sleep on GI cancers,including esophageal,gastric,colorectal,hepatobiliary,and pancreatic cancer.Recent literature investigating the potential connections between GI cancers and sleep was reviewed.We considered aspects such as sleep duration,sleep disorders,and circadian rhythmicity,in order to explore the underlying mechanisms that can contribute to the development of GI cancers and propose avenues for future research.
基金Supported by Science and Technology Development Project of the Nanjing City in China,No. ZKX05013,No. ZKX07011a special grant from the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital in Nan-jing,China
文摘Carcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction(GEJ) is defined as carcinoma that crosses the GEJ line,irrespective of where the tumor epicenter is located.This group of cancer is rare but controversial.Based on study results from the majority of epidemiologic and clinicopathologic investigations carried out in Western countries,this cancer is believed to arise from Barrett's esophagus(BE) and includes both distal esophageal and proximal gastric carcinomas because of similar characteristics in epidemiology,clinicopathology,and molecular pathobiology in relation to BE.As such,the most recent American Joint Committee on Cancer staging manual requires staging all GEJ carcinomas with the rule for esophageal adenocarcinoma(EA).This mandate has been challenged recently by the data from several studies carried out mainly in Chinese patients.The emerging evidence derivedfrom those studies suggests:(1) both BE and EA are uncommon in the Chinese population;(2) almost all GEJ cancers in Chinese arise in the proximal stomach and show the features of proximal gastric cancer,not those of EA;(3) application of the new cancer staging rule to GEJ cancer of Chinese patients cannot stratify patients' prognosis effectively;and(4) prognostic factors of GEJ cancer in Chinese are similar,but not identical,to those of EA.In conclusion,the recent evidence suggests that GEJ cancer in Chinese shows distinct clinicopathologic characteristics that are different from EA.Further investigations in molecular pathology may help illustrate the underlying pathogenesis mechanisms of this cancer in Chinese patients and better manage patients with this fatal disease.
