Dysphagia is a common symptom that is important to recognise and appropriately manage, given that causes include life threatening oesophageal neoplasia, oropharyngeal dysfunction, the risk of aspiration, as well as chronic disabling gastroesophageal reflux (GORD). The predominant causes of dysphagia varies between cohorts depending on the interplay between genetic predisposition and environment...

BACKGROUND A murine monoclonal antibody against the 17-1A epithelial antigen has been shown to be a useful adjuvant therapy in colorectal cancer. Its clinical use could be extended to patients with upper gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma. AIM To determine the distribution of the antigen in gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinoma. METHODS The activity of two monoclonal antibodies active against...

In a survey of 173 endoscopy units conducted through the British Society for Digestive Endoscopy (which merged with the British Society of Gastroenterology in 1980) 31 of the 101 units who replied reported serious complications (R Cockel, unpublished data). A supplementary questionnaire was sent to these centres requesting further details, and replies were received from 24. The table records th...

Carcinoma of the oesophagus has been recognized since the time of Galen, and in Africa and elsewhere it has in many ways the strangest distribution of any tumour (Cook & Burkitt, 1971). Since the first resection of a cervical oesophageal carcinoma by Czerney in 1871 (Wangesteen, 1956), and the successful resection of a thoracic oesophageal carcinoma by Torek in 1913 (Torek, 1913), many other th...

BACKGROUND In recent years, staging laparoscopy has gained acceptance as part of the assessment of resectability of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) malignancies. Not infrequently, we encounter tumours that are either locally advanced; requiring neoadjuvant therapy or occult peritoneal disease that requires palliation. In all these cases, the establishment of enteral feeding during staging laparosc...