Abstract
Dramatically different patterns of occurrence are observed for esophageal cancers in different parts of the world, among different ethnic groups, and between males and females. While the clues to the origin of this neoplasm are myriad, they defy explanation within a unifying etiological framework. Clinically, esophageal cancer presents a distinctive picture, which facilitates its diagnosis even in the face of limited diagnostic technology. The commonest presenting feature, dysphagia, occurs in virtually all cases. Often the patient is able to identify the site of the tumor by localizing thedysphagia. Obstruction progresses with increasing dysphagia, regurgitation, and aspiration. This sequence, followed by a rapid downhill course, is so characteristic that in areas where cancer of the esophagus is hyperendemic, the symptoms and outcome are well known to the population.
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Haas, J.F., Schottenfeld, D. (1978). Epidemiology of Esophageal Cancer. In: Lipkin, M., Good, R.A. (eds) Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer. Sloan-Kettering Institute Cancer Series. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2442-3_7
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