Esophageal Cancer

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Esophageal Cancer: Fast Facts

• Esophageal cancer affects the esophagus--the hollow, muscular tube that carries food and liquids from the throat to the stomach. It is the most rapidly increasing type of cancer in the United States.
• There are two main types of esophageal cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Squamous cell carcinomas arise in the flat, scale-like cells that line the esophagus and usually occur in the upper and middle part of the esophagus. Adenocarcinomas usually develop in glandular tissue in the lower part of the esophagus. Treatment is similar for both types.
• By far, tobacco and alcohol use are the strongest risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, accounting for more than 90 percent of such cases. The causes of esophageal adenocarcinoma are more diverse, but are led by overweight and gastroesophageal reflux, a problem in which stomach contents frequently back up into the esophagus.
• People with a precancerous condition called Barrett's esophagus face a far greater than average risk of developing esophageal cancer, although not all people with Barrett's go on to develop cancer. Barrett's esophagus occurs when tissues at the bottom of the esophagus become irritated as a result of reflux. Over time, cells in the irritated part of the esophagus may change and begin to resemble the cells that line the stomach.

Read more about esophageal-cancer prevention, symptoms and treatment options at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. »

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Esophageal Cancer: Some of Our Key Research

Through the Seattle Barrett's Esophagus Research Program, which is based at the Hutchinson Center, our researchers collaborate with colleagues at the University of Washington and other institutions on studies aimed at improving the lives of people living with the condition. The program includes an experienced clinical team that cares for patients with Barrett's esophagus; a laboratory team that investigates the genetic and cell-cycle abnormalities that lead to cancer in Barrett's esophagus; and epidemiologists who explore genetic and environmental risk factors that may cause Barrett's esophagus and cancer.

Our investigators are also active members of the Barrett's and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Consortium (BEACON), an international group of investigators who pool data and resources to investigate possible causes of the conditions and ways to prevent it.

Among its accomplishments, the Hutchinson Center team of investigators has shown that a systematic, multidisciplinary approach to early cancer detection can boost the five-year survival rate for esophageal cancer from about 10 percent to more than 80 percent.

Other promising research findings from the Seattle team, all of which require additional research, suggest that reducing obesity and quitting smoking also may prevent progression of Barrett's.

Read more about the Seattle Barrett's Esophagus Research Program. »

Determining esophageal-cancer risk

• In the first and longest observational study of its kind, Dr. Thomas Vaughan and colleagues found that aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may significantly reduce the risk of esophageal cancer among people with Barrett's esophagus. The eight-year study found that current users of NSAIDs faced one-third the risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma as compared to patients who never used the drugs. Learn more. »
  
  
• People with the most aggressive form of Barrett's esophagus may benefit the most from preventive therapy with aspirin, ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, according to research led by Drs. Patricia Galipeau, Xiaohong Li, and Brian Reid.
  
  The researchers also identified a cluster of four known cancer biomarkers, or genetic abnormalities, in people with Barrett's that significantly increases their risk of developing esophageal cancer. The researchers found that those with three or more of those cancer biomarkers upon enrollment in the study who also used aspirin or other NSAIDs had a 30 percent risk of esophageal cancer after 10 years. By contrast, those with the same biomarkers who did not use NSAIDs had a 79 percent risk of developing cancer within a decade of joining the study. Learn more. »
  
  
• Abdominal obesity is a strong risk factor for Barrett's esophagus, according to a study led by Dr. Thomas Vaughan and colleagues. Aside from chronic reflux, there is scant knowledge about the cause of Barrett's, and Vaughan's study was one of the first to look at the association between the condition and multiple measures of obesity. The observations suggest weight loss might be a fruitful approach to preventing Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer. Learn more. »

Esophageal Cancer: More Resources

• Every advance in cancer treatment in recent years has come out of clinical trials that test innovative medical approaches on patients.Find out more about clinical trials on esophageal cancer. »

• The Hutchinson Center also conducts ongoing cancer-prevention studies that depend on participation of healthy volunteers. Learn more about getting involved in research studies. » 

• In need of medical attention for esophageal cancer? Visit the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance to get help. »

• The Hutchinson Center is on a mission to eliminate cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death, and you can help. Make a gift today. »

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