The role of race/ethnicity in the epidemiology of esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer is known for its marked variation by geographic region, race, ethnicity, and gender. In the United States, incidence rates for African Americans are more than twice the rates for whites, and rates for whites exceed those for Hispanics, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. In addition, decreases in incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and increases in esophageal adenocarcinoma have been observed over the past several decades. This paper will explore the role of race/ethnicity in the epidemiology of esophageal cancer and the extent to which alcohol, tobacco, diet, and social class may contribute to racial/ethnic differences in incidence and mortality.