Original article: general thoracic
Metachronous gastric carcinoma from a gastric tube after radical surgery for esophageal carcinoma

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athoracsur.2003.09.071Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Cases of metachronous gastric carcinoma arising from a gastric tube used for reconstruction have been increasing in long-term survivors of esophageal cancer in recent years. We investigated the characteristics of gastric tube carcinoma to determine the most appropriate approach to managing it.

Methods

Between 1980 and 1997, 508 patients underwent radical esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma at Keio University Hospital. Reconstruction was performed with a gastric tube in 414 (81.5%) of them, and 8 of them developed a metachronous carcinoma in the gastric tube. The clinical and pathologic characteristics of the gastric tube carcinomas were evaluated in this study.

Results

Gastric cancer was detected during follow-up endoscopic examinations or in an upper gastrointestinal series in seven patients. All of the cancers were diagnosed as adenocarcinoma histopathologically. Endoscopic mucosal resection was performed in two patients, partial resection of the residual stomach was performed in three patients. One patient was treated by endoscopic mucosal resection as palliative therapy, since he had severe pulmonary emphysema. Total resection of the gastric tube was attempted in 2 advanced cases but was unsuccessful because of direct invasion of other organ by the cancer. The 5 patients who underwent curative resection are alive with no subsequent recurrence.

Conclusions

Since early diagnosis permits less invasive treatment and curative treatment is difficult in advanced cases, strict postoperative examinations are important after radical esophagectomy to ensure early detection of metachronous gastric carcinoma arising from gastric tubes used for reconstruction.

Section snippets

Patients and methods

Between 1980 and 1997, 872 patients with esophageal carcinoma were referred to Keio University Hospital and 508 of them were treated by radical esophagectomy. A gastric tube was used for reconstruction in 414 (81.5%) of these cases, and metachronous carcinoma has occurred in the gastric tube in 8 of them. Metachronous multiple primary carcinoma was defined according to the criteria described by Warren and Gates [10]: (1) the tumors had to be clearly malignant on histologic examination; (2) they

Results

The interval between the two malignancies ranged from 39 to 221 months (mean, 109). All patients were asymptomatic when their gastric carcinomas were detected. In 1 patient the cancer was suspected based on a high serum carcinoembryonic antigen level. The patient had been followed up by annual upper gastrointestinal (upper GI) series after the initial operation. The remaining seven cancers were detected during follow-up endoscopic examinations or upper GI series. The morphologic findings

Comment

As the prognosis of esophageal carcinoma has improved in recent years, the incidence of multiple carcinomas associated with esophageal carcinoma has been increasing, especially in gastric tube used for reconstruction 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The incidence of multiple cancers associated with esophageal carcinoma has been reported to be 8.3% to 12.6% 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.

From 1980 to 1997 the incidence of multiple cancers associated with esophageal carcinoma at Keio University Hospital was 11.5%. There

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