Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus: a survival study.

A 35 year review of adenocarcinomas of the esophagus was undertaken. We found the disease to be one of increasing incidence afflicting white males disproportionately. Risk factors remain to be clarified. Radiation therapy in curative doses and complete resection were competitively effective in terms of long-term survival. No survival advantage was found with palliative surgery compared with other means of therapy. Optimal combinations of treatment remain to be discovered.