Esophageal cancer occurrence in Southeastern Iran

sophageal cancer is globally considered as the sixth most common cancer with annual new cases of about 412,000. The mortality rate due to esophageal cancer was globally reported as 337,500 out of all 6.2 million cancer deaths in 2000.1 The highest incidences were reported in China, the Caspian region of Iran, South Africa, and France.2 In southern Iran, esophageal cancer ASR is 1.05 in males and 0.87 in females with more incidence in subjects older than 60 years old.3 This active hospital-based study aims to determine the characteristic of esophageal cancer in southeastern Iran.