Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer is cancer of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. A link to asbestos has been proposed, but the scientific evidence is weaker than for most other asbestos cancers. Asbestos trusts list it among their "other cancers," which pay only in narrow circumstances.

Origin

Some early studies of asbestos workers reported excess cancers of the digestive tract, including the esophagus. Later reviews, including the U.S. Institute of Medicine in 2006 and IARC in 2012, did not find enough evidence to conclude that asbestos causes esophageal cancer.

Significance in Asbestos Context

The two main types are squamous cell carcinoma, linked to smoking and heavy drinking, and adenocarcinoma, linked to long-term acid reflux, Barrett's esophagus and obesity. Because those causes are common and the asbestos evidence is limited, causation is hard to prove in a lawsuit, and defendants will point to the other risk factors. In the trust system, esophageal cancer falls in the "other cancer" category, which generally requires evidence of asbestosis or bilateral pleural disease as well as exposure; without that, these claims are usually denied, and the rare approvals pay very little. A person with esophageal cancer and a history of heavy asbestos exposure should still have their chest imaging reviewed, because evidence of asbestos lung or pleural disease is what decides whether a trust claim can be filed.

Example Sentence

His esophageal cancer was treated with chemotherapy and surgery, and a review of his chest CT found bilateral pleural plaques.

Related Terms

Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma, Endoscopy, IARC Classification, Pleural Plaques, Asbestosis, Bankruptcy Trust Claim

Notes

• Ask your doctors to check your chest scans for asbestos-related lung or pleural disease and record what they find.
• Keep the pathology report naming the cancer type.
• Give your lawyer an honest history of smoking, drinking and acid reflux.