The Race-Specific Incidence of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Individuals With Exposure to Tobacco and Alcohol.

Abstract

The relative impact of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in minority populations is incompletely understood. We aimed to estimate the race-specific incidences of ESCC and place these in the context of the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) in white men with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The race- and sex-specific exposures to tobacco and alcohol in the United States were obtained from the National Health Interview Survey. The standardized incidence ratios of exposure to tobacco smoke and/or alcohol for ESCC were estimated from meta-analyses. Existing incidences of ESCC in the United States were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. We then used this data to inform a Markov computer model estimating the incidence of ESCC. The incidence of ESCC reported in SEER was the greatest among African-Americans compared with white non-Hispanics, Hispanics, or Asians. In our model, the estimated incidence of ESCC in African-American men exposed to tobacco and alcohol approached the risk of EAC in white non-Hispanic men with weekly GERD. For instance, at age 60 years, the incidence of ESCC in African-American men who have used both tobacco and alcohol was 30/100,000 compared with an incidence of EAC in white men with GERD of 40/100,000. In comparison, the risk of EAC in white non-Hispanic women with weekly GERD at this age was 6.2/100,000. The incidence of ESCC in African-American men who use alcohol and tobacco is the highest and comparable to other screened diseases. Development of screening and prevention programs for ESCC in high-risk populations should be considered.