Report of the Stomach/Esophageal Cancers Progress Review Group

摘要

Gastroesophageal cancers are an enormous cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the year 2000, it was estimated that more than 1,288,000 new cases of gastroesophageal cancers were identified, and more than 984,000 people died from them, making this combination of cancers the most common form of incident cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death in the world. In the United States, gastroesophageal cancers are relatively uncommon$ however, esophageal cancer appears to be on the rise. This suggests that there are many more individuals at risk for the disease, although their risk status may be unrecognized. Three issues particularly relevant to gastroesophageal cancers and their impact on the U.S. population include: (1) the significant morbidities associated with the diseases and their treatments, (2) their almost uniformly poor prognoses, and (3) their burden among minorities.