Esophageal Adenocarcinoma in Patients Younger than 40 Years: A Two-Decade Experience at a Public and Private Hospital

Abstract

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is typically observed in the older non-Hispanic white population. Changing demographics are altering the epidemiology of the disease. The aim of this study is to review the presentation and outcomes of esophageal adenocarcinoma patients <40 years old at our institution. A retrospective review was performed of patients diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma between 1990 and 2013. Demographics, presentation, and outcomes were compared in those <40 years old and those ≥40 years old. There were 772 total cases with 42 (5%) <40 years old consisting of 37 (88.1%) males, five females and median age of diagnosis of 35 (interquartile range: 31–38). The two most common ethnicities were White non-Hispanic/Latino in 19 (45.2%), Hispanic /Latino in 18 (42.9%). Compared with patients 40 years and older, the younger group had more Hispanic/Latinos than the older group (43% vs 17%, P < 0.001), more frequently presented with stage IV disease (50% vs 29%) and had a shorter median survival. In conclusion, younger patients tend to present at a much later stage than the older counterparts, which may be due to a delay in diagnosis as well as more aggressive biology. Esophageal adenocarcinoma seems to be increasing in the Hispanic/Latino population.