Carcinoma of the cardia and thoracic oesophagus coexisting with and following sliding hiatal hernia and peptic stricture.

A series of 207 cases of carcinoma of the cardia and thoracic oesophagus was reviewed. Ten patients (9-8% of those with carcinoma of the cardia) had a hiatal hernia with a coexisting adenocarcinoma. Five other patients (2-4%) had long-standing records of hiatal hernia, and chronic peptic oesophagitis with stricture before the development of carcinoma. In the cases of hiatal hernia coexisting with carcinoma, there is insufficient evidence of the hernia predisposing to carcinoma. The relationship is thought to be purely coincidental. However, malignant changes may occur in long-standing cases of chronic oesophagitis with peptic stricture.