Feature of esophageal cancer mortality in USA from 1999 to 2023: based on CDC WONDER database
Abstract
BackgroundEsophageal cancer remains a highly lethal malignancy with substantial mortality burden in the United States. Previous studies struggle to track the latest demographic and regional characteristics of esophageal cancer. Therefore, updated data are urgently needed for disease control and develop health policies.MethodsData for this study were sourced from the CDC WONDER database. The study population included adults aged 25 years and older, stratified by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, census region, urban-rural, and state level. Joinpoint regression analysis was employed to examine the annual percentage changes (APCs) and average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) in mortality rates, with 95% confidence intervals calculated.ResultsA total of 357,606 esophageal cancer-related deaths were identified among U.S. residents from 1999 to 2023. The overall age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) exhibited a significant downward trend, decreasing from 6.74 per 100,000 in 1999 to 5.61 per 100,000 in 2023 (AAPC: -0.81). Non-Hispanic Black individuals experienced the largest decrease in AAMR, with other race experienced slighter decrease. Geographically, the Midwest had the highest AAMR in 2023, whereas the West had the lowest; non-metropolitan areas also had higher mortality than metropolitan areas. Age-specific trends showed that while mortality decreased in most groups, it remained stable or showed a slight increase among individuals aged 65–74 years in recent years.ConclusionAlthough the EC-related mortality in the United States has decreased in recent years, thanks to the optimization of public health policies and advancements in disease diagnosis and treatment. However, an increase in the number of deaths among most populations may be closely associated with population aging and the growing prevalence of high-risk factors such as obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the population. Meanwhile, the persistently high mortality rates among adults aged 65+, Non-Hispanic White, nonmetropolitan residents, and populations in the Midwest across different stratifications underscore that future prevention and control strategies should prioritize targeted interventions for these groups to promote health equity.
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BibTeX
@article{wei2026feature,
title = {{Feature of esophageal cancer mortality in USA from 1999 to 2023: based on CDC WONDER database}},
author = {Mingfeng Wei and Shixiang Guo and Xiaoyu Chen and Xuelin Zhang and Fuzhi Yang and Shuai Jiang and Lefei Hu and Zheng Li and Xiaoyong Shen},
journal = {Frontiers in Oncology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fonc.2026.1852652},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1852652},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Feature of esophageal cancer mortality in USA from 1999 to 2023: based on CDC WONDER database
AU - Mingfeng Wei
AU - Shixiang Guo
AU - Xiaoyu Chen
AU - Xuelin Zhang
AU - Fuzhi Yang
AU - Shuai Jiang
AU - Lefei Hu
AU - Zheng Li
AU - Xiaoyong Shen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/09
JO - Frontiers in Oncology
DO - 10.3389/fonc.2026.1852652
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1852652
AB - BackgroundEsophageal cancer remains a highly lethal malignancy with substantial mortality burden in the United States. Previous studies struggle to track the latest demographic and regional characteristics of esophageal cancer. Therefore, updated data are urgently needed for disease control and develop health policies.MethodsData for this study were sourced from the CDC WONDER database. The study population included adults aged 25 years and older, stratified by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, census region, urban-rural, and state level. Joinpoint regression analysis was employed to examine the annual percentage changes (APCs) and average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) in mortality rates, with 95% confidence intervals calculated.ResultsA total of 357,606 esophageal cancer-related deaths were identified among U.S. residents from 1999 to 2023. The overall age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) exhibited a significant downward trend, decreasing from 6.74 per 100,000 in 1999 to 5.61 per 100,000 in 2023 (AAPC: -0.81). Non-Hispanic Black individuals experienced the largest decrease in AAMR, with other race experienced slighter decrease. Geographically, the Midwest had the highest AAMR in 2023, whereas the West had the lowest; non-metropolitan areas also had higher mortality than metropolitan areas. Age-specific trends showed that while mortality decreased in most groups, it remained stable or showed a slight increase among individuals aged 65–74 years in recent years.ConclusionAlthough the EC-related mortality in the United States has decreased in recent years, thanks to the optimization of public health policies and advancements in disease diagnosis and treatment. However, an increase in the number of deaths among most populations may be closely associated with population aging and the growing prevalence of high-risk factors such as obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the population. Meanwhile, the persistently high mortality rates among adults aged 65+, Non-Hispanic White, nonmetropolitan residents, and populations in the Midwest across different stratifications underscore that future prevention and control strategies should prioritize targeted interventions for these groups to promote health equity.
SN - 2234-943X
ER -