Esophageal cancer cases in England 2022, by age and gender

In 2022, over 9.1 thousand people in England were diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The most affected age group was among those aged 75 to 79 years with 1,152 diagnoses in men of this age and 488 cases for women. The esophagus is also known as the gullet and is the tube that carries food to the stomach. 

Lifestyles which increase risk of developing esophageal cancer

Certain harmful behaviors can increase the risk of a person developing esophageal cancer such as smoking or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol according to the NHS. As of 2022, 14 percent of men in England were regular smokers as well as 11 percent of women. Additionally, a study from 2022 found that many age groups, men in particular, exceed the recommended units of alcohol consumption of 1 units on an average week.

Another aspect is diet

Having a healthy diet is also an extra way to abet esophageal cancer, in particular the consumption of fruit and vegetables. The recommend advice is to consume at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. In 2018/19, among adults in England, 30 percent of women and 25 percent of men declared that they consume five portions or more per day. On the contrary, nine and seven percent of men and women respectively in England reported consuming no fruit or vegetables on a typical day.