The gastroesophageal junction is the point at which your oesophagus connects to your stomach. It is one of the most important parts of your body and cancer that starts here can be dangerous. GOJ cancers can be different to other types of oesophageal or stomach cancers and they can behave differently.
Gastroesophageal junction tumors are a rare type of cancer, but they can be very dangerous. They start in the cells at the gastroesophageal junction and spread to other areas of the body. The most common type of GOJ cancer is called adenocarcinoma, but there are also other types.
GEJ tumours are sometimes difficult to diagnose, as they can be hard to spot on tests and scans. They are usually diagnosed after surgery or by a biopsy taken from the area. The doctor will then use the results of these tests to work out the stage of your GOJ cancer. The stage will tell you how large your GOJ cancer is and if it has spread elsewhere in the body.
Inflammation of the GEJ is an important factor in development of GOJ tumors. This is due to the failure of the esophageal barrier, which prevents acid from refluxing into the stomach. This is especially important in patients who have long-standing acid reflux disease (GERD). The esophageal barrier can also be damaged by surgery, smoking or alcohol.
The EGJ can be defined endoscopically as the distal ends of esophageal longitudinal vessels that meet the proximal ends of gastric longitudinal mucosal folds. This can be a reliable landmark, but histologic validation of this criterion is needed.
Another useful histologic marker of the EGJ is the distal end of the multilayered epithelium (MLE), which consists of glandular cells on the surface and squamous cells underneath. This feature has been described only in the esophagus, but it can be difficult to identify.
The EGJ is an important landmark in identifying and distinguishing diseases that affect the esophagus and stomach, such as hiatal hernias. When a patient has a hernia, the squamocolumnar junction becomes displaced proximally and upshifted from the EGJ. In this situation, the squamocolumnar zigzag line is no longer reliable for defining the EGJ and should be avoided in clinical diagnosis.
