Introduction:

Esophageal cancer is one of the most aggressive neoplasms of the digestive tract; it accounts for high morbidity and mortality worldwide.

Objective:

To determine the clinical-epidemiological characteristics of patients with esophageal cancer and their chances for treatment.

Methods:

A descriptive and retrospective basic research was carried out, during the period from January 2016 to January 2017, in patients with esophageal cancer hospitalized at the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology. The necessary data were obtained from the individual medical records of the cases. that met the inclusion criteria. Absolute frequencies and percentages were applied for the statistical analyses of the selected variables.

Results:

The diagnosis at ages between 60 and 69 years was more frequent, accounting for 44.8% of the cases. 73.7% were men and 52.3% were of black race. A history of reflux esophagitis was found in 71.0%. 78.9% were smokers and 52.6% were abusive drinkers. Dysphagia was the most common symptom, while squamous cell carcinoma presented more frequently, reaching 82.1% of the sample studied. Most of the cases were diagnosed in stage III.

Conclusions:

This neoplasm is a health concern in Cuba; its incidence has increased in recent years. It is recommended to apply the program of early diagnosis and detection of the disease.

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