In esophageal cancer, malignant cells develop in the esophagus tissues, leading to tumor formation. Cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol use, and Barrett’s esophagus are all known to raise the risk of esophageal cancer. Weight loss, progressive dysphagia, retrosternal discomfort, hoarseness, and coughing are all signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer. There are two types of esophageal cancer (Chevallay et al., 2020). First is Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC), a type of cancer that develops in the thin, flat cells that line the inner surface of the esophagus. Adenocarcinoma is cancer that originates in the glandular cells of the body. Adenocarcinomas are cancerous tumors that develop in the lower region of the esophagus, near where the stomach is located, and mainly affect Caucasians.
Esophageal cancer accounts for l1% of all malignancies diagnosed in the United States of America each year (Then et al., 2020). Esophageal cancers are the fifth most prevalent gastrointestinal cancer in the United States, with 16,940 cases per year. A region known as the “esophageal cancer belt” includes parts of northern Iran, southern Russia, and Central Asian countries, with China carrying 90% of all cases. Cancer of the esophagus is the fourth most prevalent cause of death among those living in this high-risk location (Then et al., 2020). The United States, on the other hand, is considered a low-risk area, with an increase in the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma, primarily due to an increase in obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and, conversely, a steady decrease in the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma, owing to a long-term reduction in tobacco use and alcohol consumption (Then et al., 2020).
The 5-year survival rate informs the percentage of persons who survive at least five years after being diagnosed with cancer. People with esophageal cancer have a 5-year survival rate of 20% overall(Then et al., 2020). The disease’s treatment is gradually becoming more effective. It was estimated that the total 5-year survival rate was 5% in the 1960s and 1970s. On the other hand, survival rates are dependent on a variety of circumstances, including the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Individuals who have cancer that has spread exclusively to the esophagus have a 47% five-year survival rate (Then et al., 2020). 25% of patients with an illness that has progressed to adjacent tissues or organs and regional lymph nodes will survive for at least five years, according to the American Cancer Society.
References
Chevallay, M., Jung, M., Chon, S. H., Takeda, F. R., Akiyama, J., & Mönig, S. (2020). Esophageal cancer surgery: Review of complications and their management. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1482(1), 146-162.
Then, E. O., Michell Lopez, S. S., Gayam, V., Sunkara, T., Culliford, A., & Gaduputi, V. (2020). Esophageal cancer: An updated surveillance epidemiology and end results database analysis. World Journal of Oncology, 11(2), 55.