Cancer of the Esophagus

During the past 23 years, 603 patients with carcinoma of the esophagus have been admitted to the Veterans Administration Hospital, Hines, Ill. An analysis of these patients has been undertaken to determine the incidence of this disease in relationship to total admissions and to malignancies of other organs and to note any change in its frequency. As this time interval covers periods of various forms of therapy, a comparison of results has been computed. Prior to 1946, "Hines" was a tumor center for veteran patients from the entire country. This explains the higher percentage of admissions of patients with malignant diseases before this date. In 1946, Deans Committees were established to help supplement professional staffs of Veterans Hospitals. Tumor services were developed throughout the country to handle malignant disease locally. As a result, statistics at "Hines" depict the incidence of malignant disease in the veteran population of the local community