Education and debate

Current Issues in Cancer Management of carcinomas of the upper gastrointestinal tract

^a Cancer Research Campaign Section of Medicine and Gastrointestinal Unit, Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey

Correspondence to: Dr D Cunningham, Department of Medicine, The Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT Series editor: G M Mead (G M Mead is consultant in medical oncology at the Cancer Research Campaign's Wessex Medical Oncology Unit).

Patients with oesophageal, gastric, and pancreatic carcinomas present a common and difficult problem for the clinician. Surgery is the best option for curative treatment but overall survival figures remain low. Recent improvements in our understanding of the biology of these tumours and improvements in their clinical staging, along with the development of combined modality approaches to local-regional disease, have led to renewed optimism that survival figures may be improved. This is particularly so for oesophageal and gastric carcinomas. In addition, there have been advances in the palliative management of all three tumours. This article examines some of these developments and looks at future prospects.

Epidemiology and pathology

Oesophageal cancer

Oesophageal cancer accounts for around 2% of cancer deaths in the United Kingdom annually. The diagnosis is associated with a median survival of 10 months, and fewer than 5% . . . [Full text of this article]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Charnley, R M, Spiller, R C, Doran, J (1994). Surgery for pancreatic cancer. BMJ 308: 1715-1715 [Full text]  
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