April is National Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month
Published on
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Did You Know?
The two most common types of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.
Squamous cell carcinoma is most often found in the upper and middle part of the esophagus but can occur anywhere along the esophagus. Studies have shown that the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus increases in people who smoke or are heavy drinkers.
Adenocarcinoma usually forms in the lower part of the esophagus near the stomach. This type of esophageal cancer is strongly linked to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), especially when severe symptoms occur daily. Obesity in combination with GERD may further increase your risk for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
In the last 20 years the rates of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus have increased in the United States and is now more common than squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.
Esophageal Cancer Prevalence in the United States in 2021
- New Cases: 19,260
- Deaths: 15,530
Esophageal Cancer Risk Factors
- Tobacco Use,
- Heavy alcohol use,
- Barrett esophagus – Gastric reflux is the most common cause of Barrett esophagus,
- Men are about three times more likely than women to develop esophageal cancer,
- Older age,
- White men develop esophageal cancer at higher rates than Black men in all age groups
Signs and Symptoms of Esophageal Cancer
- Painful or difficult swallowing,
- Weight loss,
- Pain behind the breastbone,
- Hoarseness and cough
- Indigestion and heartburn
- A lump under the skin
Tests Used to Diagnose Esophageal Cancer
- Physical exam and health history,
- Chest x-ray,
- Esophagoscopy
- Biopsy
Why this Matters?
In most cases, esophageal cancer is a treatable but rarely curable disease. The five-year survival rate is 19.9%.
Patients have a better chance of recovery when esophageal cancer is found early. Only 17.5% of patients are diagnosed with esophageal cancer at the local level. The five-year survival rate for this group of patients is 46.4%.
Signs and symptoms associated with esophageal cancer can also be present with other diseases. If you have any of the symptoms, discuss them with your doctor.
Resources:
- PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Esophageal Cancer Treatment (Adult). Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated 07/15/2021. Available at: (link). Accessed 04/04/2022. [PMID: 26389338]
- PDQ® Screening and Prevention Editorial Board. PDQ Esophageal Cancer Prevention. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated 07/30/2021 Available at: (link). Accessed 04/04/2022. [PMID: 26389280]
- PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Esophageal Cancer Treatment (Adult). Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated 11/18/2021. Available at: (link). Accessed 04/04/2022. [PMID: 26389463]
Article Author: Beth Cobb, RN, BSN, ACM, CCDS
Beth Cobb, RN, BSN, ACM, CCDS, is the Manager of Clinical Analytics at Medical Management Plus, Inc. Beth has over twenty-five years of experience in healthcare including eleven years in Case Management at a large multi-facility health system. In her current position, Beth is a principle writer for MMP’s Wednesday@One weekly e-newsletter, an active member of our HIPAA Compliance Committee, MMP’s Education Department Program Director and co-developer of MMP’s proprietary Compliance Protection Assessment Tool.
