Abstract
Oesophago-gastric (OG) cancer is the fifth-most-common malignancy in the UK, affecting around 15 000 people in 2013. Therefore, an average-sized general practice can expect to encounter several newly diagnosed patients every year. However, the incidence of OG cancer is rapidly increasing, especially adenocarcinoma of the distal oesophagus and OG junction. This is thought to be related to increases in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and obesity. As prognosis is largely dependent on stage of disease at presentation, general practice has a vital role in the early detection and referral of patients with suspicious symptoms. Furthermore, as most OG cancers present late with advanced disease, the overall prognosis remains very poor, with UK 5-year survival rates approaching 10%. GPs are therefore likely to play an increasingly significant role in the palliative management of patients with incurable disease.
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