Historically, most esophageal cancers were squamous cell tumors. Recently, however, there has been a marked increase in adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, primarily among white men, in developed countries of the world, including the United States. In fact, among white men, rates of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus nearly equal those of squamous cell tumors.
Men are three to five times more likely than women to be diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
Limited data are available for women. Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women have lower rates than black women. In black men, however, the incidence rate for the 55- 69 year age group is close to the rate for the 70 and over age group. In black women aged 55-69 years, the incidence rate is slightly higher than for the 70 years and older age group. United States mortality rates for esophageal cancer are nearly as high as incidence rates in the SEER regions, reflecting the generally poor survival for patients with this cancer.