Esophageal cancer

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Digestive system

Heartburn prevention

Esophageal cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor of the esophagus, the muscular tube that transports food from the mouth to the stomach.

Cancer - esophagus

Esophageal cancer is relatively uncommon in the United States, and occurs most often in men over 50 years old. It affects less than 5 in 100,000 people. There are two main types of esophageal cancer --squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. These two types look different from each other under the microscope.

Squamous cell cancer is associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. The incidence of this disease in the United States has remained mostly the same, while the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus has risen dramatically.

Barrett's esophagus , a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a risk factor for the development of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

Risk factors for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus include male gender, obesity, western diet, and smoking.

Review Date: 05/26/2006
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided byVeriMed Healthcare Network.