Risk factors for rising incidence of esophageal and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma

Introduction In the last 30 years, the incidence of esophageal and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma has steadily increased. The increase in incidence is approximately seven-fold, which is a more substantial increase than that of several malignancies, including melanoma, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Discussion The rising incidence has led to a steady increase in mortality from 2 to 15 deaths per 100,000 in the last three decades. The etiologic factors involved in the development of these malignancies include gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett's esophagus, acid-suppressivemedication use, obesity, and tobacco use. This article discusses the contribution of these etiologic risk factors to this increase in incidence. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013.