title: The outcomes of esophageal and gastric cancer treatments in a retrospective study, single center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Esophageal and gastric cancers are among the most common cancers in Iran. Usually survival of these cases is poor despite of treatment. Here we studied outcome of these cases in our center to have an estimation of general prognosis of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, we reviewed the data of patient's files before treatment, including cancer stage at diagnosis, types of treatments and outcomes. We studied 368 patients treated between 1995 and 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 368 patients (248 [67.4%] males and 120 [32.6%] females) with a median age of 58 (range: 23 - 94). Sixty nine patients (18.8%) had esophageal cancer with a median age of 58.5 years (range: 33 - 84), and 47.8% (33/69) of whom were male. Sixty five (17.7%) were reported to have gastro-esophageal junction (GEJ) with a median age of 62.0 (range: 32 - 94), among them 72.3% (47/65) of whom were male and finally Two hundred thirty four (63.6%) had gastric cancer with a median age of 57.0 (range: 23 - 82), which 71.8% (168/234) of whom were male. The Median follow-up was 10 months. The majority of patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease. Stage III or IV was observed in 65.0% (39/60) of patients with esophageal cancer, 75.0% (33/44) with GEJ cancer and 65.4% (121/185) with gastric cancer. In this study, 58% of patients with esophageal cancer, 50.8% with GEJ and gastric cancers had unresectable disease or metastases at presentation. One-year EFS was 51.8% (95% CI: 39.8 - 67.3%), 32.8% (95% CI: 22.1 - 48.7%), and 56.7% (95% CI: 50.1 - 64.3%) in patients with esophageal, GEJ and gastric cancers, respectively (p = 0.002). The 1-year OS was 54.5% (95% CI: 42.6 - 69.8%), 39.5% (95 CI: 28.1 - 55.5%), and 68.2% (95% CI: 61.8 - 75.3%), respectively (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cancers of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract contribute to the high mortality and morbidity rates because they are more likely to be diagnosed at late or advanced stages of disease. Cancer of the GEJ has a poor prognosis compared to esophageal and gastric cancers. Moreover, treatment protocols may need improvement to achieve better results.
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alimoghaddam
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jalali
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Leyla Sharifi
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Aliabadi
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghaffari
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Roghieh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maheri
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ezzat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eini
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mashhadireza
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seied Asadollah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bahar
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jahani
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ardeshir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghavamzadeh
keywords: Esophageal cancer; Gastric cancer; Survival analysis