ABSTRACT
Background Esophageal cancer is a malignant disease characterized by a poor prognosis, which accounts for about 4% of all digestive tract cancers. In developed countries the incidence is 4-5 per 100 000 people, with a significant higher incidence in China, in the Caspian region of Iran, and in South Africa. Males are affected two to four times more often than females, and black men present the highest incidence in squamous cell carcinoma. The overall 5-year survival rate in patients amenable to definitive treatment ranges from 5% to 30%, although patients diagnosed with early disease may have a better chance of survival.
