Liu X, Jiang Q, Yue C, et al. - This analysis of adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEJ) cases in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and comparison with gastric cancer (GC) patients in general revealed that AEJ has distinct clinicopathological characteristics. Independent association of age, race, summary stage, N stage, M stage, and surgery with overall survival (OS) was evident. A nomogram was also built which correctly predicted 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates.

• Overall 8,013 patients with AEJ [mean age 65.4 (SD = 12.0) years] were distinguished from the records of 30,179 patients with GC.

• This study population comprised 79.5% men, 87.2% Caucasian, 91.5% moderately-to-poorly differentiated, 34.4% had AJCC stage I AEJ, and 28.8% had stage IV.

• Median OS and 5-year OS were 18 months and 25.8% (95% CI: 24.8– 26.8%) respectively.

• Surgery was attempted in fewer patients with AEJ, and fewer had T+ and N+ (N2∼N3) disease, and fewer had distant metastases than the patients with GC.

• Independent risk factors in univariate and multivariate analyses were: age, race, summary stage, N stage, M stage, and surgery.

• A nomogram was developed to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS in patients with AEJ, and this nomogram had a calibration index of 0.726.