Can esophagogastric junction cancer be cured?

Esophageal-gastric junction cancer is a malignant tumor originating at the junction of the lower end of the esophagus and the stomach. The possibility of curing esophageal-gastric junction cancer is related to multiple factors. It largely depends on the cancer stage, the patient's overall health condition, and the choice of treatment methods. With early detection and radical surgical resection combined with radiotherapy or chemotherapy, some patients can achieve clinical cure, meaning a significantly improved five-year survival rate and even a return to normal life. However, for patients with advanced esophageal-gastric junction cancer, such as those at stage III or IV, the curative rate significantly decreases due to the tumor having spread to surrounding tissues or lymph nodes, or even distant metastases having occurred. The five-year survival rate for these patients may be only around 20%. For esophageal-gastric junction cancer, cure is not an absolute concept but requires comprehensive evaluation based on individual circumstances.

For diseases like cancer, due to the potential existence of minimal residual disease or risk of distant metastasis, even after treatment has controlled the disease, it is difficult to guarantee 100% prevention of recurrence. Therefore, when discussing the possibility of curing cancer, it more commonly refers to achieving a state of long-term disease-free survival through existing medical interventions.