A single center's 30 years' experience of esophageal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus has been reported to be increasing in incidence in a number of regions throughout the world, while the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) of the esophagus is mostly stable or decreasing. To evaluate the increasing tendency of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. METHODS: We studied retrospectively the records of patients with histologically proven esophageal cancer between 1970 and 1999 at the Yonsei Medical Center. RESULTS: Total cases of esophageal cancer were 969 patients of which the cases of adenocarcinoma and SCCA were 27 patients and 918 patients, respectively. The ratio of esophageal adenocarcinoma to SCCA was 0.0375 in the 1970s, 0.0241 in the 1980s and 0.0292 in the 1990s. There was no statistical difference (p = 0.811) in the ratios of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus between the three consecutive 10-year groups. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, unlike the US and other western countries, it seems that the ratio of esophageal adenocarcinoma compared to SCCA has not increased among patients with esophageal carcinoma at the Yonsei Medical Center.