Incidence Trends of Esophageal and Gastric Cancer Subtypes by Race, Ethnicity, and Age in the United States, 1997-2014

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There is limited information on contemporary incidence rates and trends, by race, ethnicity, and age, for major subtypes of esophageal and gastric cancer in the United States. We examined the most recent nationwide incidence data for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA), and gastric non-cardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA) by race, ethnicity, and age in the United States. METHODS: Average contemporary incidence rates (2010-2014) and annual percent changes in rates (from 1997 through 2014) by race, ethnicity, and age were calculated for each cancer subtype using nationwide data compiled by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. RESULTS: From 1997 through 2014, overall esophageal squamous cell carcinoma incidence rates continuously decreased in both sexes and all racial and ethnic groups, although rates remained stable among younger non-Hispanic white women. Overall, EAC incidence rates decreased or stabilized during the most recent time period (2006-2007 through 2014) in men and women, after increasing from 1997 through 2006 and 2007. However, EAC incidence rates continued to increase from 1997 through 2014 in several subpopulations, including non-Hispanic white men younger than 50 years, non-Hispanic white women younger than 70 years, and Asian/Pacific Islander men (all ages combined). Overall GCA incidence rates increased among non-Hispanic whites, but decreased among Hispanics (men only) and Asian/Pacific Islanders. Although overall GNCA rates decreased in both sexes and all racial and ethnic groups, rates increased in younger age groups among men (all races and ethnicities combined) and non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic women. CONCLUSIONS: Using high-quality nationwide population-based data, we found increasing incidence trends for EAC, GCA, and GNCA in several subpopulations in the United States.