Prognostic factors in esophageal cancer.

Clinical and pathologic factors relevant to the prognosis of esophageal cancer are reviewed in this article. Clinical factors discussed include endoscopic, radiologic, and surgical findings. The importance of Barrett's esophagus and the role of endoscopic screening in the diagnosis of dysplasia and the prevention of adenocarcinoma are evaluated. Pathologic factors include the traditional ones of tumor type, stage, and grade as well as newer tumor markers related to DNA content, rate of cell proliferation, oncogenes, and tumor suppressor genes.