Abstract

Esophageal cancer is one of the most common malignancies with high mortality worldwide. It comprises two major subtypes: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Prevalence of each subtype varies substantially in different geographic regions. In Iran and China, for instance, squamous cell carcinoma predominates. Most Iranian studies regarding benign and malignant lesions of the esophagus to date have focused on the northern part of the country, and a knowledge gap exists regarding the prevalence of esophageal lesions in other parts of the country. To assess the prevalence and frequency of benign and malignant esophageal lesions, clinical history of patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy between 1997 and 2007 in Yazd, Iran was reviewed. Among 294 malignant lesions, squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent subtype (70.06 ), followed by adenocarcinoma (29.25 ). Of the 387 benign lesions, most frequent diagnoses were reflux esophagitis 215 (55.5 ), esophagus ulcer 91 (23.51 ), and Barrett's esophagus 73 (18.86 ). During the 11-year study period, incidence of adenocarcinoma gradually increased over time. On the other hand, squamous cell carcinoma incidence and total incidence of esophageal malignancies did not show a significant trend over time. Squamous cell carcinoma remains the most common subtype of esophagus malignancies in Yazd, Iran, although an increasing trend towards adenocarcinoma is also evident.