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Esophageal Cancer

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Handbook of Evidence-Based Radiation Oncology

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Abstract

Esophageal cancer accounts for 5% of all GI cancers. There are 16,470 new cases and 14,280 deaths from esophageal cancer each year in the US. It is the sixth leading cause of death from cancer worldwide. Incidence increases with age, peaks at sixth to seventh decade. Male:female = 3.5:1. African-American males:White males = 5:1. Most common in China, Iran, South Africa, India, and the former Soviet Union. Risk factors: tobacco, EtOH, nitrosamines, Tylosis (congenitalhyperkeratosis), Plummer Vinson syndrome, achalasia, GERD, and Barrett’s esophagus. Four regions of the esophagus: Cervical = cricoid cartilage to thoracicinlet (15–18 cm from the incisor). Upper thoracic = thoracicinlet to tracheal bifurcation (18–24 cm). Midthoracic = tracheal bifurcation to just above the GE junction (24–32 cm). Lower thoracic = GE junction (32–40 cm).

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Acknowledgement

We thank Richard M. Krieg, for his valuable advice in the preparation of this chapter.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA

    Charlotte Dai Kubicky MD, PhD

  2. Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Hans T. Chung MD

  3. Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Marc B. Nash MD

Authors
  1. Charlotte Dai Kubicky MD, PhD
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  2. Hans T. Chung MD
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  3. Marc B. Nash MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Div. Radiation Oncology, Oregon Clinic, SW. Barnes Rd. 9205, Portland, 97225, Oregon, USA

    Eric K. Hansen

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, Divisadero Street, Suite H-1031 1600, San Francisco, 94143, California, USA

    Mack Roach

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© 2010 Springer-Verlag New York

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Kubicky, C.D., Chung, H.T., Nash, M.B. (2010). Esophageal Cancer. In: Hansen, E., Roach, M. (eds) Handbook of Evidence-Based Radiation Oncology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92988-0_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92988-0_18

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

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