digestive disorders
Esophageal Cancer
Introduction
Esophageal cancers develop in the cells that line the wall of the Throat and Esophagus (the tube that connects the throat to the stomach). Tobacco and alcohol use, gastroesophageal reflux, and obesity are risk factors for esophageal cancer. Typical symptoms include difficulty swallowing, weight loss, and, later, pain. The diagnosis is based on an endoscopy and biopsy. Surgery, chemotherapy, and various other therapies can help relieve the symptoms. Unless discovered early, almost all cases of esophageal cancer are fatal. Worldwide in 2018, esophageal cancer was the 7th most commonly diagnosed type of cancer and the 6th leading cause of cancer deaths with about 572,000 new cases and 508,000 deaths. In the United States, esophageal cancer is not as common. In the United States in 2023, cancer of the esophagus will account for an estimated 21,560 new cases and 16,120 deaths. Themost common types of esophageal cancerdevelop in the cells that line the wall of the esophagus and include Squamous cell carcinoma, which is more common in the upper part of the esophagus Adenocarcinoma, which is more common in the lower part These cancers may appear as a narrowing (stricture) of the esophagus, a lump, an abnormal flat area (plaque), or an abnormal connection (fistula) between the esophagus and the airways that supply the lungs. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common esophageal cancer worldwide, but, in the United States, adenocarcinoma is more common. In the United States, squamous cell carcinoma is more common among men than women and more common among Black than White people. Less common types of esophageal cancerinclude leiomyosarcomas (cancers of the smooth muscle of the esophagus) and metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread from elsewhere in the body). 