Who is more likely to get adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus ?
A. The main risk of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus comes from a condition called Barrett’s oesophagus. This is a type of heartburn, caused by long-term gastric reflux – the stomach contents splashing up into the lower part of the gullet. About one person in a hundred suffers from Barrett’s oesophagus. They are up to 50 times more likely to get oesophageal cancer then normal. The more severe the case of Barrett’s oesophagus, the greater the risk of cancer. Barrett’s oesophagus is about three times more common in men than women and cancer of the oesophagus is twice as common in men as women. Like most cancers, oesophageal adenocarcinoma is more common in older people: the majority of cases are diagnosed in people over 65. Whites are more likely to get this type of cancer then blacks. Higher risk of this cancer has also been associated with smoking, obesity and a diet low in fruit and vegetables.
