Esophageal cancer is increasing in adults under age 50, a study published Dec. 11 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found.
Researchers analyzed data on 34,443 esophageal adenocarcinoma cases recorded from 1975 to 2015 using the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database.
Four study findings:
1. Cancer rates grew by 2.9 percent annually for adults under 50 during the study period.
2. Younger adults were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of esophageal cancer. Eighty-nine percent of patients under 50 were diagnosed in late stages, compared to 67.3 percent of people ages 50 or older.
3. Adults under 50 also had a lower five-year survival rate (22.9 percent) compared to those over age 50 (29.6 percent).
4. The findings suggest that current diagnostic and treatment strategies may need to be reevaluated for young-onset esophageal cancer, the study authors said.
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