Comparative Proteomic Analysis Of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma From High-incidence Area Of Esophageal Cancer

BackgroundEsophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), comprising the predominant histological subtype of esophageal cancer (EC), ranks as the sixth most common malignancy and still represents a great health concern in China. EC is characterized by the striking geographic variation throughout the world. For example, the so-called "Asian esophageal cancer belt" covers the Taihang Mountain region in northern China. In particular, Linzhou (formerly Linxian) and Huixian have the highest incidence of EC worldwide with an incidence rate of approximately 150 per 100,000 population, which is 15-folds higher than the other high risk regions of EC around the world. Another pronounced feature of EC is the high mortality rate. Most of the EC patients can't survive more than one year after presenting at healthcare centers the first time and the five-year survival rate for EC remains as low as 10% or even less due to complications caused by the aberrant growth inside the esophagus, such as dysphasia, cachexia, etc. However, five-year survival rate for the EC the early stage could be as...