title: The influence of age, sex, and race on the incidence of esophageal cancer in the United States (1992-2006).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a striking male predominance in esophageal cancer patients. Sex hormones have been suggested as a contributing factor and these are influenced by age and race. In this study, we examined the male-to-female incidence rate ratios of esophageal cancer in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from 13 registries in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to calculate male-to-female incidence rate ratios of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) diagnosed during 1992-2006 in different age and race groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For EA, all races had similar sex and age-specific incidence patterns showing a peak in the male-to-female incidence rate ratio in the age group 50-59, and an age-related decline thereafter. The highest male-to-female ratio was seen in Hispanics (20.5) and the lowest in Blacks (7.0) compared with 10.8 in Whites. By contrast, the male-to-female incidence rate ratios were low and fairly stable throughout the different age groups in ESCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The male-to-female incidence rate ratios in esophageal cancer vary considerably according to histology, age, and race. The highest sex ratios were seen in EA in the age group 50-59, rendering plausibility to the hypothesis that female sex hormone exposure may play a protective role in the development of this cancer.
authors.affiliation: Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Administration Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Center for Quality of Care and Utilization Studies, Houston, TX, USA. helena.nordenstedt@ki.se
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nordenstedt
authors.forename: Hashem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Serag
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018426:SEER Program; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology