Risk factors and patterns of recurrence after curative resection in Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES: We looked at risk factors and patterns of recurrence following surgical treatment of Gastro-Oesophageal Junction carcinoma (GOJC). METHODS: Electronic medical records of patients with GOJC undergoing resection with curative intent between Jan 2009 and June 2017 at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital were reviewed. GOJ cancer was classified as per Siewert classification. Clinical and operative details were studied and data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: During the study period, we identified 78 patients with GOJ adenocarcinoma (38 patients with GOJ Type-I, 16 with Type-II tumors and 24 patients with GOJ Type-III tumors). Median age was 56 years ± 1.1. Male to female distribution was 72 versus 28%. Carbo-Pacli /5-FU based XRT verses Magic protocol (p<0.015) and advanced pathological T.-stage (p-value<0.032) were found to be statistically significant risk factors for recurrence. After a median follow up of 17.8 months+/- 1.5, 20 patients developed recurrence of which five had local recurrence, three had regional recurrence, eight had distant metastases and four had both local and distant metastases. CONCLUSION: The incidence of recurrence following curative resection of GOJC is 25%. Type of neoadjuvant treatment, waiting time for surgery and advanced T-stage are a risk factor for recurrence.