title: Surgical outcomes for cancer at the gastroesophageal junction.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of cancer at the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) whose center is situated at a site within 2 cm above and below the junction. This retrospective study included 90 patients with cancer  at the GEJ, including 58 with adenocarcinoma (ADC) and 32 with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). ADC tumors were larger in size than SCC tumors. ADC and SCC at the GEJ showed a similar distribution of the pattern of lymphatic spread. The rate of lower mediastinal lymph node metastasis was approximately  20 per cent, which is similar to the nodes along the celiac artery and the nodes along the common hepatic artery. The overall survival rates were similar between the groups. The presence of five or more lymph node metastases was an independent prognostic factor according to a multivariate  analysis. When two or more lymph nodes larger than 10 mm were detected preoperatively, five or more lymph node metastases were proven by histology in most cases. The most frequent sites of recurrence of ADC and SCC were the peritoneum and lymph nodes, respectively. Aggressive additional treatment  may be needed if two or more lymph nodes are seen on preoperative imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, School of Medicine, Nara, Japan. msohei@naramed-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Sohei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Tomoyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakatsuki
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Migita
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies