How many people get cancer of the esophagus?

The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for esophagus cancer in the United States are for 2012:

• About 17,460 new cases of cancer of the esophagus
• About 15,070 deaths from cancer of the esophagus

This cancer is 3 to 4 times more common in men than in women. The lifetime risk of esophageal cancer in the United States is about 1 in 125 in men and about 1 in 435 in women. It is as common among African Americans as it is among whites.

Some countries, such as Iran, northern China, India, and countries in southern Africa have rates that are 10 to 100 times higher than the rates in the United States.