Prevention
Gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma is a rare type of cancer of the esophagus, the tube that connects your mouth and stomach. It starts in the gastroesophageal (GE) junction, the area where the esophagus and stomach join together. The cancer grows from cells that make mucus.
Esophageal cancer is four times more common in men than in women. Almost 17,000 cases of new esophageal cancer cases are diagnosed in the U.S. a year, and the condition causes over 15,500 deaths each year. It is most common in Caucasians, but the incidence rate in Blacks is almost as high as in whites.
Diagnosis
Because GE junction cancer is similar to other cancers of the esophagus, your doctor will diagnose and treat it much like those.
Your doctor will first ask about your symptoms and medical history. Then they’ll give you a physical exam (endoscopy,Upper GI series, barium X-ray, Computed tomography (CT) scan, Positron emission tomography (PET) scan) to look for symptoms of GE junction cancer.
Causes
Although the cause of GE junction adenocarcinoma is unknown, one cause could be that the irritation in your esophagus is causing your healthy cells to turn into cancer.
Essentially, you may be more likely to get it if you:
- Have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Have Barrett’s esophagus, a problem with the tissue that lines the inside of your esophagus
- Are obese
- Smoke
- Don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables
Symptoms
Those with GE junction cancer may exhibit the following symptoms:
- Pressure or burning in your chest (from acid reflux)
- Weight loss without trying
- Trouble swallowing or eating, especially solid, dry foods – This gets worse over time.
- Pale skin, tiredness, trouble catching your breath, and other symptoms of anemia
- A hoarse voice
It is important to note that other conditions can also cause these symptoms. So if you have them, it doesn’t mean that you have cancer. You will need to see your doctor to find out what’s causing your trouble.
Treatments
You have a few options to treat GE junction cancer. Which treatment you get will be based on:
- The type of GE junction cancer you have
- Whether your cancer has spread
- Your overall health
Treatment options include:
- Esophagectomy surgery
- Esophageal dilation
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
Some GE junction cancers have a protein called HER2 on the surfaces of their cells that helps them grow. These are called HER2-positive cancers. Trastuzumab (Herceptin) treats them by targeting the HER2 protein. Another targeted drug, ramucirumab (Cyramza), works against a protein called VEGF, which tumors need to make new blood vessels.
Questions to ask your doctor
If you have been diagnosed with GE junction, you should ask your doctor the following questions:
- What type of GE junction cancer do I have? What does that mean for me?
- What are my treatment options?
- What is the goal of each one?
- Which treatment do you recommend? How might it affect my cancer?
- What side effects can it cause?
- What should I do to manage side effects if I have them?
- Who will be on my medical team?
- What is the outlook for my condition?