Oesophageal cancer rates in men have risen by 50% over the last 25 years, according to new figures published by Cancer Research UK. The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, as rates increased by 67% over the same period.
Rates in women also rose, but only by 8%, from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people. Oesophageal cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% of people with the disease surviving at least five years. Professor Janusz Jankowski, a Cancer Research UK funded clinician at the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, said the obesity epidemic and diet may be significant reasons behind the increase.
