Cancer - the most common diseases of the esophagus. It accounts for 70-90% of all diseases of the esophagus. In the structure of the incidence of malignant human esophageal cancer takes 9-10-th place. Cancer of the esophagus is more common in men, women suffer from them in 2-3 times less. This is mainly a disease of older people in the age group of persons over 60 years is 80% of all esophageal cancer patients. At the age of 30 years to cancer of the esophagus is described only as a single observation. There is considerable unevenness in the geographical distribution of the disease. Particularly high incidence of esophageal cancer in the states of Central Asia.

 

Here it is 3-5 times higher than average and 10-12 times higher than the incidence observed in the south-west and west of the CIS. For example, in Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, the incidence of esophageal cancer varies from 1,7-2,6 per 100 000 population in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan reach 23,7-28,3 per 100 000 population. Outside the CIS the most common cancer of the esophagus occurs in Iran, Switzerland, Panama, Brazil, Japan. Rarely get cancer of the esophagus in Cuba, Mexico, southern U.S. states, Nigeria. For example, in northern Iran, the incidence is 114 per 100000 population, and the highest incidence of esophageal cancer was registered in northern China, Korea, - 140 per 100 000 population.

 

Factors contributing to the emergence of esophageal cancer, include a systematic method of hot, searing, rough, poorly chewed food, the consumption of strong alcoholic beverages and smoking. These factors cause chronic inflammation, which prolonged the existence of lead to the development of malignant tumors. Here it should be noted processes, entailing the development of scars, chronic inflammatory changes - posleozhogovye stricture, esophagitis on the basis of hiatal hernia, «short» the esophagus, etc. In addition, cancer of the esophagus and is a professional nature - often suffer from the machine operators: tractor , drivers, combine operators.

Development of esophageal cancer also contribute to the diverticula, which are supported by chronic inflammatory processes. Important role in the development of esophageal cancer divert leukoplakia.

Leukoplakia of the mucous membrane becomes esophageal cancer in 48% of cases. Therefore, most researchers believe leukoplakia obligate precancer. Noting the link between cancer of the esophagus and sideropenicheskim syndrome arising as a result of lowering the iron content in plasma (sideropeniya). Sideropenichesky syndrome (sideropenicheskaya dysphagia, Plummer-Vinson syndrome) is characterized by dysphagia, Akhil, chronic glossitis and heylitom, early hair loss and tooth loss, severe hypochromic anemia. Some importance in the development of esophageal cancer have polyps and benign tumors. However, by themselves, these diseases are relatively rare, and at-developed cancer is not always possible to install the following pre-existing pathological process.