Key Statistics for Esophageal Cancer

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for esophageal cancer in the United States for 2024 are:

• About 22,370 new esophageal cancer cases diagnosed (17,690 in men and 4,680 in women)
• About 16,130 deaths from esophageal cancer (12,880 in men and 3,250 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 127 in men and about 1 in 434 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 esophagus cancer among White people, but 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 other parts of the world, such as Iran, northern China, India, and southern Africa.

For 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.