title: Prospective endoscopic follow-up results of reconstructed gastric tube.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent advances in the treatment of esophageal cancer have afforded better prognosis for patients. Despite the increased need to monitor the progress of patients with reconstructed digestive tracts over the long-term, no reliable prospective studies have yet been conducted. This prospective study determined secondary disease of the reconstructed gastric tube after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fourteen patients who underwent esophagectomy and reconstructed gastric tube via the posterior mediastinal route between April 1992 and March 1999 at Akita University Hospital, were followed up. Follow-up endoscopy was carried out once a year to determine the incidence and characteristics of secondary disease of the reconstructed gastric tube.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-four (47%) patients were found to have secondary gastric abnormalities. Of these, 4 patients (3.5%) had carcinoma of the gastric tube, 12 patients (10.5%) had benign gastric tumor, 7 patients (6.1%) had gastric ulcers, and 40 patients (35.1%) had erosive or hemorrhagic gastritis. Three patients found to have early gastric cancer upon periodic follow-up endoscopy underwent successful complete resections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Annual follow-up endoscopy is vital to the detection of early, curative secondary gastric cancer and ulceration in patients following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita City, 010-8543, Japan. motoyama@doc.med.akita-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Motoyama
authors.forename: Reijiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Michihiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Masakatu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okuyama
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imano
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D016629:Esophagectomy; D004944:Esophagoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005756:Gastritis / Q000473:pathology*; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000473:pathology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013270:Stomach / Q000601:surgery*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000473:pathology*