Research Progress of Etiology, Screening and Early Diagnosis of Esophageal Cancer in China

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most fatal cancers worldwide. According to GLOBOCAN 2020, it was estimated that there were 600,000 new EC cases and 540 000 EC deaths, while nearly half of all newly diagnosed cases of EC and associated deaths worldwide occurred in China. The annual incidence and mortality of EC have been reduced in the last 20 years in China. However, the early symptoms and signs of EC are not easily distinguished and the disease tends to be within the middle and late stage of pathogenesis when identified, leading to its low 5-year survival rate. Therefore, it could help effectively reduce the burden of EC by clarifying its etiology and risk factors, as well as taking preventive and early diagnosis measures. This article reviews the epidemiology, etiology, screening and early diagnosis of EC in China, to provide systematic references for EC prevention and control.