J Gastrointest Surg (2007) 11:1216-1218
The Society for the Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
Esophageal carcinoma is a relatively uncommon but highly lethal malignancy comprising 5% of gastrointestinal cancers in the USA. It is estimated that over 12,000 patients will develop carcinoma of the esophagus in the USA each year. In most Western countries, the prevalence of esophageal carcinoma is increasing at a rate of approximately 10% per year, which is faster than any other malignancy. The disease has also undergone a profound epidemiologic change, from predominantly squamous cell carcinoma seen in association with tobacco and alcohol abuse to that of adenocarcinoma in the setting of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett's metaplasia. This sequence from GERD to intestinal metaplasia to dysplasia to adenocarcinoma has now been recognized and is translating to a better understanding of and improved treatment for this disease. By contrast, the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus is stable or diminishing.