Background: There is clinical evidence that adenocarcinoma of the lower oesophagus is increasing in the Australian society. The population-based cancer registry of Victoria was used to describe the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastric cardia.
Methods: Data were obtained from 1982 to 1991 and were analysed using the Poisson regression techniques.
Results: In men, a statistically significant annual increase of 9.5% in oesophageal adenocarcinoma and a non-significant increase of 1.6% in adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia was observed. These increases were balanced by decreases in other histological types found in the oesophagus in men resulting in little change in the overall rate. No significant trends by age or histological type were observed in women.
Conclusions: There is evidence for a rise in adenocarcinoma in men in Victoria. Possible risk factors include Barrett's oesophagus.