Recurrence and survival after resection of adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia

In a retrospective study, the results after resection of carcinoma of the g astric cardia in the era without neoadjuvant therapy or extended lymph node dissection were evaluated. All 184 patients who underwent resection betwee n January 1983 and December 1993 were included. Recurrence of disease, surv ival and prognostic factors were determined. The overall cumulative 5-year recurrence rate was 71% and the survival rate 23%. Multivariate analysis id entified locoregional lymph node and distant metastases as the crucial prog nosticators of recurrence of disease and survival. These results were simil ar to those from a previous study concerning our patients operated during t he years 1983-88. The prognosis of a resected cardiacarcinoma has remained unchanged in our hands over the past 10 years. These results stress the imp ortance of exploring new ways, such as the use of new diagnostic tools, to optimize preoperative patient selection and more aggressive treatment regim ens to improve final outcome.