Alterations Of STAT3 And STK15 Protein Expression In The Young Patients With Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma And Gastric Cardia Adenocarcinoma At High-incidence Area For Esophageal Cancer In Henan

BackgroundEsophageal carcinoma (EC) is one of the six most common malignant diseases in the world, with a remarkable geographical distribution, the ratios of incidence between the high- and low-incidence areas could be as high as 500:1 for EC. Linzhou and nearby counties in Henan province have been well recognized as the highest incidence and mortality areas for EC in China and in the world. Through mass survey and follow-up study for the past fifty years, it has been recognized that esophageal carcinogenesis is a multistage and progressive process involved by multiple genetic changes and risk factors. Although EC usually occurs in the old patients (≥50 years old), the young EC patients (≤40 years old) have been frequently identified and the incidence seems increasing in recent years. The young EC patients have been characterized with more poorly differentiated EC type and a poor prognosis because of early diffuse infiltrative growth and vassel invasion, the 5-year survival rate is lower than the older counterpart. However, the information for the molecular changes...