Early adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia.

The relationships of gross and histologic types of early gastric cancer in the upper portion of the stomach, the extent of the normal oxyntic gland area and the grade of intestinal metaplasia in the mucosa surrounding the tumor, to the distance of the tumor from the squamocolumnar junction were examined in 29 specimens obtained at total gastrectomy. There were significant correlations between gross type of early cancer, extent of the normal oxyntic gland areas or the grade of intestinal metaplasia in the surrounding mucosa, and the distance of the tumor from the squamocolumnar junction. Cancers located within 2 cm from the squamocolumnar junction were more frequently polypoid, more frequently associated with a large oxyntic gland area, and less commonly surrounded by profuse intestinal metaplasia. The above differences suggest that cancers located within 2 cm from the squamocolumnar junction differ from those in other regions of the upper portion of the stomach.