Esophageal cancer: a historical perspective.

The history of esophageal cancer dates back to ancient Egyptian times, circa 3000 bc. Since then, the progress in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer has been steady. Over the last few centuries there have been advancements in the visualization and removal of these lesions, but with no real overall impact on survival rates. The twenty-first century is the time to make major progress in not only improving survival rates, but also in diagnosing esophageal cancer in the very early stages.