Esophageal cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor of the esophagus, the muscular tube that transports food from the mouth to the stomach.

Esophageal cancer is relatively uncommon in the United States, and occurs most often in men over 50 years old. It affects less than 5 in 100,000 people. There are two main types of esophageal cancer --squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. These two types look different from each other under the microscope.

Squamous cell cancer is associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. The incidence of this disease in the United States has remained mostly the same, while the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus has risen dramatically.

Barrett's esophagus, a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a risk factor for the development of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

Risk factors for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus include male gender, obesity, western diet, and smoking.

• Difficulty swallowing solids or liquids
• Regurgitation of food
• Heartburn
• Weight loss
• Vomiting blood
• Chest pain unrelated to eating

• Barium swallow
• EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) and biopsy
• Chest MRI or thoracic CT (usually used for helping to determine the stage of the disease)
• PET scan (sometimes useful for determining the stage of disease, and whether surgery is possible)
• Evidence of occult (hidden) blood in stool