[Endoscopic therapy for cancer of the esophagogastric junction]

In Japan, the criteria for cancer of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) are that the center of the lesions are located within 2cm from the EGJ orally and anally. The main histology of these lesions are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus is treated following the guidelines published by the Japan Esophageal Society. This paper focuses on EGJ adenocarcinomas, which include cardiac gastric cancer and Barrett's cancer originating from the short-segment Barrett's esophagus. EGJ cancer is resected endoscopically at the termination of the palisade vessels or upper end of the gastric fold. The various types of cancer involving the EGJ are treated following the guidelines published by each medical specialist society in Japan. The main endoscopic treatment is endoscopic submucosal dissection. The EGJ is a narrow space, and therefore lesions are approached from the oral approach or anal approach using a reverse endoscope. Bleeding, perforation, and stenosis are major complications. When two-thirds or more of the wall is resected, stenosis occurs. Endoscopic therapy for cancer originating in the EGJ has not yet been fully established.