Abstract:
Objective This study aims to compare the proportion of familial carcinomas in esophageal and gastric cardia carcinomas by the site of the primary cancer in a high-risk region.
Methods Data from 7 267 consecutive esophageal and gastric cardia carcinoma patients who underwent surgery between 1970 and 1994 in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of The Fourth Hospital of the Hebei Medical University were collected to analyze changes in median age at diagnosis, family history, sex ratio, and the prevalence of multiple primary cancers(MPC), including squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) of the upper, middle, and lower third of the esophagus, and adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia(gastrocardiac adenocarcinoma, GCA).
Results Patients with a positive family history ranked first in MPC cases, with 42.1%for males and 59.3%for females.The proportion of patients with a positive family history who had single primary cancers of the upper, middle, and lower third of the esophagus, and GCA was cut down to 38.5%.26.3%, 26.55%, and 11.2%in males(P = 0.000). and 25.0%, 22.3%, 23.9%, and 9.8%in females, respectively(P = 0.000).Moreover, the median age of onset for patients with cancers in the above mentioned sites was 49, 52, 55, and 56 years old in males, and 50, 53.55.and 56 years old in females(both P = 0.000), with a significant increase in the age of onset in both male and female patients(male: P = 0.002.female: P = 0.004).The sex ratio between the males and females increased site-specifically by 2.2.2.1, 2.2, and 6.2:1(P = 0.000).Based on the comparison of the ratio of MPCs among the cases in relation to SCC of the upper, middle, and lower third of the esophagus and GCA.the percentage also decreased to 21.2%, 2.3%, 2.2%, and 1.4%in males and 14.3%.2.4%, 3.4%, and 3.0%in females(male: P = 0.02.female: P = 0.04).
Conclusion These observations suggest that the proportion of familial cancers gradually decreased in patients with SCC of the upper, middle, and lower third of the esophagus and GCA in the high-risk region of Hebei province.This result has clinical significance and needs further molecular investigation.