title: Differences in esophageal cancer characteristics and survival between Chinese and Caucasian patients in the SEER database.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To compare the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival of Chinese and Caucasian esophageal cancer (EC) patients residing in the US, using a population-based national registry (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results [SEER]) database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with EC were identified from the SEER program from 1988 to 2012. Kaplan-Meier survival methods and Cox proportional hazards regression were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 479 Chinese and 35,748 Caucasian EC patients were identified. Compared with Caucasian patients, the Chinese patients had a later year of diagnosis, remained married after EC was diagnosed, had esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) more frequently, had tumors located in the upper-third and middle-third of the esophagus more frequently, and fewer patients presented with poorly/undifferentiated EC and underwent cancer-directed surgery. In Chinese patients, the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinomas (EACs) increased from 1988 to 2012 (P=0.054), and the majority of EAC patients had tumors located in the lower thoracic esophagus. The overall survival (OS) was not significantly different between Chinese and Caucasian patients (P=0.767). However, Chinese patients with ESCC had a significantly better OS when compared to their Caucasian counterparts, whereas there was no significant difference in the OS between Chinese and Caucasian patients with EAC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presenting demographic features, tumor characteristics, and outcomes of EC patients differed between Chinese and Caucasian patients residing in the US. Chinese patients diagnosed with EAC tended to share similar clinical features with their Caucasian counterparts, and the Chinese patients with ESCC had better OS than their Caucasian counterparts.
authors: Department of Scientific Management, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen.
authors: Min-Qiang
authors: MQ
authors: Lin
authors: Public Health School of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou.
authors: Yue-Ping
authors: YP
authors: Li
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen.
authors: San-Gang
authors: SG
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou.
authors: Jia-Yuan
authors: JY
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou.
authors: Huan-Xin
authors: HX
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Hospital Infection Management, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China.
authors: Shi-Yang
authors: SY
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou.
authors: Zhen-Yu
authors: ZY
authors: He
keywords: Caucasian; Chinese; SEER; esophageal cancer; survival