Cancer of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction: an 8^th edition staging primer

The latest edition of the AJCC/UICC cancer staging manual (8^th edition) (1,2), has several important implications for physicians involved in treating patients with cancers of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction within the multidisciplinary setting. The latest staging system employs data driven techniques (3) for the analysis of a far greater number of patients (22,654 vs. 4,627 patients) than preceding edition (4) and provides several insights into the biology of this cancer. It also sets the agenda for future clinical research.