PREOPERATIVE ENDOSONOGRAPHIC STAGING OF CANCER OF THE CARDIA

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of endosonography (ES) in a prospective series of cancer of the cardia, Methods: Thirty-five patients with cancer of the cardia were investigated by ES; 29 underw ent surgery. ES staging for the surgery patients was compared with his topathologic findings. Tumors were staged according to the 1987 TNM cl assification. Results: ES had a diagnostic accuracy of 79% for the T c ategory, 79% for the N category, 89% for the M category, and 72% for p rognostic TNM staging, Conclusion: ES is an excellent paraclinical mod ality for the staging of local-regional spread of cancer of the cardia and a useful complement to computed tomography for evaluation of thes e tumors.