True about esophageal carcinoma is
Ans. is 'a' i.e., More lethal than colorectal cancers Esophageal carcinoma* Esophageal cancer occurs in about 4.5:100,000 people in the United States with the associated mortality being only slightly less at 4.4:100,000.* It is about 10 times less common than colorectal cancer but kills about one-quarter as many patients. These statistics emphasize both the rarity and lethality of esophageal cancer.* One notable trend is the shift of dominant esophageal cancer type from squamous cell to adenocarcinoma, strongly linked to reflux disease and Barrett's metaplasia.* The typical presentation of esophageal cancer is of progressive solid food dysphagia and weight loss.* Associated symptoms may include odynophagia, iron deficiency, and, with mid-esophageal tumors, hoarseness from left recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Generally, these are indications of locally invasive or even metastatic disease manifest by tracheoesophageal fistulas, and vocal cord paralysis.* Even when detected as a small lesion, esophageal cancer has poor survival because of the abundant esophageal lymphatics leading to regional lymph node metastases.* Benign esophageal tumors are uncommon and usually discovered incidentally. In decreasing frequency of occurrence, cell types include leiomyomas, fibrovascular polyps, squamous papillomas, granular cell, lipomas, neurofibromas, and inflammatory fibroid polyps.* These generally become symptomatic only when they are associated with dysphagia and merit removal only under the same circumstances.