The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has progressively risen over the past four decades. 

The rapidly growing burden of EAC is accelerated by population ageing, but at the same time, there is evidence of EAC increase in younger patients. Current surveillance/ early diagnosis programs of this disease, are based on the sequence GERD - Intestinal Metaplasia - Dysplasia-EA. Discussion on the existence of different pathogenetic pathways has shifted from the perspective of surgeons, gastroenterologists and pathologists. The concept that dysplasia and cancer originate from IM secondary to inflammation was and it is currently part of alternative theories, although others sustain that multiple distinct pathways of tumorigenesis exist in the vicinity of the GEJ. New data resulting from large epidemiological surveys, sophisticated computational models, molecular biology/ metaplastic progenitor cells studies, reappraise the debate on the possibility that adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJAC) may develop from the gastric folds up to and above the Z line, and that other factors other than GERD, may be relevant to pathogenesis. The anatomic localization of the endoscopic biopsy in this short but highly protean segment of the upper GI tract, is difficult because of the lack of standardization of the endoscopic technique and frequent presence of a hiatus hernia. ESDE and EACSGE invite you to participate in a webinar with the goal to analyze and interpret new data and concepts and to propose novel research opportunities and to mainly address the questions whether it is time to switch from EAC into GEJAC. 

J.V. Reynolds , E.V. Savarino, S. Mattioli

Register Here