title: Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lower third of the esophagus and gastric cardia: similarities and differences.
abstract: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) of the lower esophagus and gastric cardia were compared in their clinical features and long-term prognosis. Two hundred and ninety-five patients with SCC and 263 with ADC were reviewed. Resectability rates for SCC and ADC were 74.2% and 73.2% respectively (P=0.8). Among those who underwent resection, ADC was more advanced, with 22.3% at stage IV compared with 7.4% for SCC (P=0.001). Postoperative cardiac events occurred in 24.2% of SCC patients and 14.7% of ADC patients (P=0.015), and major respiratory complications in 20.1% and 8.6% respectively (P=0.001). Thirty-day mortality rates were 2.7% and 4% (P=0.46), and hospital mortality rates were 11.4% and 7.6% (P=0.19). Median survival rates were 12.5 months for SCC and 11.6 months for ADC (P=0.99) and 5-year survival rates were 19.9% and 17.6% (P=0.55) respectively. Squamous cell carcinoma of the lower esophagus and ADC of the cardia differed in patient demographics and clinical features but long-term prognoses were similar.
authors.affiliation: Division of Esophageal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong Medical Center, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alexandrou
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murthy
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Whooley
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002299:Cardia / Q000473:pathology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery