[Surgical treatment of cancer of the cardia]

The authors report about their experience over 7 years with 258 cancers of the cardia, including 218 operated and 208 resected lesions, the 50 inoperable cases having been treated by laser and curietherapy or with an endoprosthesis. The hospital mortality rate is unrelated to the stage of the tumor, but differs according to the extent of exeresis: 8.6% after total gastrectomy and partial esophagectomy, 10.5% after upper polar esogastrectomy without thoracotomy, 14.8% after total esogastrectomy. There is no difference in the survival rates between the various types, which are defined according to the location of the lesion relative to the cardia. There is an obvious correlation between the survival rate and the stage of the tumor, as well as the involvement of the lymph nodes, both assessed individually and gathered into TNM stages.