Proposal for a new definition of true cardia carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It remains controversial whether cardia carcinoma should be categorized and treated as esophageal cancer or gastric cancer. The purpose of this study was to develop a reasonable definition of cardia carcinoma. METHODS: Patients with Siewert type II carcinomas were divided into two subgroups: 25 patients with a tumor center within 1 cm of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) (type IIA) and 22 patients with tumor center 1-2 cm aboral of the EGJ (type IIB). Patients with subcardia carcinomas, 40 with invasion to the EGJ (type III) and 110 without (type IIIe-), were used as controls. RESULTS: The patients with type IIB carcinomas showed no different characteristics from those with type III or type IIIe- carcinomas, except for the stage of the disease. On the other hand, those with type IIA carcinomas were associated with a higher male/female ratio, higher incidences of elevated appearance, differentiated histology, and mediastinal node metastasis, and a significantly lower survival rate as compared with patients with subcardia carcinomas. Multivariate survival analysis revealed that type IIA is a significant prognostic determinant, but that type IIB is not. CONCLUSION: Type IIA carcinomas should be treated as true cardia carcinoma; type IIB as subcardia carcinoma. Our results should be confirmed by a prospective study.