Preoperative endosonographic staging of cancer of the cardia

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of endosonography (ES) in a prospective series of cancer of the cardia, Methods: Thirty-five patients with cancer of the cardia were investigated by ES; 29 underwent surgery. ES staging for the surgery patients was compared with histopathologic findings. Tumors were staged according to the 1987 TNM classification. Results: ES had a diagnostic accuracy of 79% for the T category, 79% for the N category, 89% for the M category, and 72% for prognostic TNM staging, Conclusion: ES is an excellent paraclinical modality for the staging of local-regional spread of cancer of the cardia and a useful complement to computed tomography for evaluation of these tumors.