[Surgical treatment of primary adenocarcinoma of the esophagus]

Seventy-eight cases of primary adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were surgically treated from 1958 to 1987, which accounted for 3% of all esophageal carcinomas treated surgically during the same period. The 5 year survival rate was 47.4% in Stages I and II, similar to that of the esophageal squamous carcinoma in the same stages. In Stages III and IV, the treatment results were much worse than esophageal squamous cancer with a 5 year survival of 9%. Stage of the lesion and extra-esophageal infiltration are the main factors affecting resection rate and long-term survival. The pathogenesis of adenocarcinoma of esophagus in China is not related to Barrett's esophagus and might be related to carcinogens other than those causing squamous cell carcinoma in the high risk area for esophageal cancer.