Epidemiology of Barrett’s Esophagus and Esophageal Cancer

Abstract

Esophageal cancer is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and abroad; however, detecting esophageal cancer in the early stages is challenging. Barrett’s esophagus is a well-described, premalignant condition that results from chronic inflammation due to acid reflux and carries a risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma and therefore can be used to identify patients for cancer surveillance. In addition, other clinical and demographic characteristics can help practitioners assess risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma at the individual patient level. The ability to recognize these risk factors is essential for all gastroenterologists and endoscopic surgeons. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the epidemiology of Barrett’s esophagus, esophageal adenocarcinoma, and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and reviews the important risk factors for each condition.