title: The characteristics of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: an analysis of 1317 cases in southeastern China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To research the demographic and histopathological features of ESCC in southeastern China.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the ESCC cases in the biobank of the National Engineering Centre for Biochip in Shanghai, which cooperates with lots of hospitals and research institutions in southeastern China. The patients were pathologically confirmed as having ESCC. The demographic and histopathological features of these cases were analysed subsequently.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1317 patients were enrolled. The overall male: female ratio was 2.88: 1. 74.34% of these cases occurred in people aged between 50-70 years. Dysphagia was the most common symptom, which accounted for 93.40% of all the patients. Stage II and III were predominant (79.73%). 72.89% of patients had a tumour length greater than 3 cm. Most of the tumours (65.83%) were located in middle third of the oesophagus. There was a significant difference among the tumour stage, length, and location in different sex groups (P < 0.05), but not between different age groups (P > 0.05). In males, ESCC is usually located in the lower parts, with a longer tumour length and higher tumour stage. 24.15% of patients had lymph nodes ratio (LNR) > 0.2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our analysis, dysphagia was more common in ESCC patients, to whom more attention should be paid. Additionally, males had a higher incidence, with longer and more distant disease, which gives a poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Xi
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Chang
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Centre for Biochip at Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Heng-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gao
keywords: ESCC; characteristics; oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma; southeastern China