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Esophageal Cancer
Occurring more often in males, cancer of the esophagus accounts for 5.5% of all malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and less than 1% of all cancers in the United States. Predisposing factors include a high alcohol intake and heavy use of tobacco. The disease may be difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Most cancers arise in the middle or lower third of the thoracic esophagus. Squamous cell carcinomas are the most common, although the frequency of adenocarcinomas has increased in recent years. Esophageal cancers, regardless of the histologic type, may extend over wide areas of the mucosal surface. Squamous cell carcinomas may arise from either the cervical or thoracic esophagus while adenocarcinomas are usually found in the distal esophagus, sometimes referred to as GE Junction tumors. Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) is the most common clinical symptom for all lesions.
