Statistics for Esophageal Cancer

You might be tempted to use statistics to try to figure out your chance of getting cancer or of being cured. Remember that this data shows what happens with large groups of people. Because no two people are alike, this information can’t be used to know or predict what will happen to you.

These are 2007 statistics about esophageal cancer from the American Cancer Society.

• About 15,600 people will be told they have esophageal cancer this year.

• About 14,000 Americans will die of esophageal cancer this year. Because the cancer is usually found at an advanced stage, most people who have it will die of it.  An advanced stage of the cancer means it has spread to places far from the esophagus. And that makes it harder to treat.

• Men are about three times more likely to get esophageal cancer than women.

• African-American people are more likely to get esophageal cancer than Caucasian people.

• Survival rates are improving. During the early 1960s, only 4% of white people and 1% of African-Americans with esophageal cancer lived 5 years after finding out they had it. Now, 16% of white patients, and 9% of African-American patients live 5 years after diagnosis.