Key Statistics for Esophageal Cancer

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for esophageal cancer in the United States for 2023 are:

• About 21,560 new esophageal cancer cases diagnosed (17,030 in men and 4,530 in women)
• About 16,120 deaths from esophageal cancer (12,920 in men and 3,200 in women)

Esophageal cancer is more common among men than among women. The lifetime risk of esophageal cancer in the United States is about 1 in 125 in men and about 1 in 417 in women. (See Esophageal Cancer Risk Factors to learn about factors that can affect these chances.)

Overall, the rates of esophageal cancer in the United States have been fairly stable for many years, but over the past decade they have been decreasing slightly. It is most common in White people. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of cancer of the esophagus among White people, while squamous cell carcinoma is more common in African Americans. American Indian, Alaska Natives, and Hispanics have lower rates of esophageal cancer, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Esophageal cancer makes up about 1% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States, but it is much more common in some other parts of the world, such as Iran, northern China, India, and southern Africa.

Although many people with esophageal cancer will go on to die from this disease, treatment has improved and survival rates are getting better. During the 1960s and 1970s, only about 5% of patients survived at least 5 years after being diagnosed. Now, about 20% of patients survive at least 5 years after diagnosis. This number includes patients with all stages of esophageal cancer. Survival rates for people with early stage cancer are higher. For more information on survival, see Survival Rates for Cancer of the Esophagus by Stage.

Visit the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.