[Extent of radical surgery in cardia carcinoma--esophagectomy or gastrectomy?]

In patients with cardia cancer, showing a tumor center between 1 cm above to 2 cm below the anatomical cardia, the results of transhiatal esophagectomy with proximal gastrectomy versus total extended gastrectomy with distal esophageal resection were compared. For gastrectomy, postoperative mortality was significantly lower (2% vs. 8.6%), whereas the rates of R0 resection (81% vs. 68%) and 5-year survival rate (48 vs. 25%) were significantly higher than after esophagectomy. If in cardia cancer, according to the mentioned definition, R0 resection can be achieved by extended total gastrectomy and distal esophageal resection, this represents the procedure of choice for this strictly defined type of carcinoma of the cardia.