Molecular diagnostics in esophageal and gastric neoplasms.

Esophageal carcinoma is the most rapidly increasing tumor in incidence in the United States. It has an established association with a precursor lesion (Barrett esophagus). Gastric carcinoma (GC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the world. The prognosis for patients with advanced stage GC and esophageal carcinoma is poor. Human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER-2) overexpression is seen in gastroesophageal junction carcinoma and a subset of GC. HER-2 overexpressing tumors are eligible for HER-2 targeted therapies, which lead to a better survival in these patients.