AUTHOR=Tinusz Benedek , Szapáry László Botond , Paládi Bence , Papp András , Bogner Barna , Hegedűs Ivett , Bellyei Szabolcs , Vincze Áron , Solt Jenő , Micsik Tamás , Dunás-Varga Veronika , Pályu Eszter , Vass Tamás , Schnabel Tamás , Farkas Nelli , Hegyi Péter , Thrift Aaron P. , Erőss Bálint TITLE=The Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Epidemic Has Reached Hungary: A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Study JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology VOLUME=10 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.541794 DOI=10.3389/fonc.2020.541794 ISSN=2234-943X ABSTRACT=Background

The epidemiology of esophageal cancer has changed dramatically over the past 4 decades in many Western populations. We aimed to understand the Hungarian epidemiologic trends of esophageal squamous cell cancer (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC).

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study using data from esophageal cancer patients diagnosed between 1992 and 2018 at eight tertiary referral centers in four major cities of Hungary. We retrospectively identified cases in the electronic databases of each center and collected data on gender, age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, specialty of the origin center, histological type, and localization of the tumor. Patients were grouped based on the two main histological types: AC or SCC. For statistical analysis, we used linear regression models, chi-square tests, and independent sample t tests.

Results

We extracted data on 3,283 patients with esophageal cancer. Of these, 2,632 were diagnosed with either of the two main histological types; 737 had AC and 1,895 SCC. There was no significant difference in the gender ratio of the patients between AC and SCC (80.1 vs 81.8% males, respectively; p = 0.261). The relative incidence of AC increased over the years (p < 0.001, b = 1.19 CI: 0.84–1.54). AC patients were older at diagnosis than SCC patients (64.37 ± 11.59 vs 60.30 ± 10.07 years, p < 0.001). The age of patients at the diagnosis of primary esophageal cancer increased over time (p < 0.001, R = 0.119).

Conclusions

The rapid increase in the relative incidence of AC and simultaneous decrease of the relative incidence of SCC suggest that this well-established Western phenomenon is also present in Hungary.