Despite improvements in the detection and treatment of oesophageal and gastric cancer, the outlook for most patients is poor. Patients may present late with advanced disease and despite some having localised disease, their general health and frailty precludes radical treatment.…
Introduction Cancers of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract represent a challenge for the practising oncologist. The majority of patients who present with either locally advanced or metastatic disease are typically of poor functional status and unsuitable for aggressive therapies. Notwithstanding,…
Acknowledgement This chapter in the sixth edition was written by Mark Smithers and Iain Thomson, and we are grateful to them for those parts of the chapter which we have kept in this edition. Introduction Definition of early oesophageal and…
Introduction There seem to be two different worlds for surgeons who confront gastric cancer. In Japan and Korea, where nearly half of the tumours are T1, ‘advanced gastric cancer’ usually means non-early tumours that are still potentially curable by radical…
Acknowledgement This chapter in the sixth edition was written with Professor Mike Griffin and I am grateful to him for those parts of the chapter which I have kept in this edition. Introduction Despite advances in surgical technique and perioperative…
Introduction Perioperative management strategies have been shown to be important in postoperative outcome following oesophageal and gastric surgery. The overriding principle of preoperative assessment is to identify comorbidities that may complicate the patient’s operative intervention and perioperative recovery. Identification, recognition,…
Acknowledgement This chapter in the sixth edition was written by Graeme Couper and we are grateful to him for those parts of the chapter which we have kept in this edition. Introduction Survival after a diagnosis of gastric and oesophageal…
Introduction There has been an increase in the incidence of oesophageal and oesophagogastric junctional (OGJ) cancers in many Western countries, especially amongst White males. In contrast, stomach cancer incidence has declined except for proximal cancers in the gastric cardia. Both…
Introduction Oesophageal tumours can be broadly divided into epithelial, non-epithelial, and heterotopic, based on the cell of origin or into intraluminal, intramural, and extramural based on their location in relation to the oesophageal wall. Epithelial neoplasms arise from the mucosa…