Esophageal Cancer in Hospital Setting in Ouahigouya: Epidemiological and Diagnostic Aspects (about 42 Cases)

Objectives: The aim of this study, conducted in a hospital in Ouahigouya, was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, endoscopic, and histological characteristics of esophageal cancer. Methodology: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study covering the period from March1, 2014, to February 29, 2024, i.e., 10 years. The study included patients in whom esophageal cancer was suspected on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and confirmed by histology. Patient data were collected using a data collection form in three digestive endoscopy units in private and public healthcare facilities in the city of Ouahigouya in Burkina Faso. Results: Of 60 endoscopic biopsies of cancers, 42 were confirmed by histology (70%). The sex ratio was 1.21, with 54.76% men (23) and 45.24% women (19). The average age was 60, with extremes of 25 and 91. The most affected age group was 60 to 79 years old. Farmers and housewives were the most affected, accounting for 45.23% and 40.47% of cases, respectively. The indications for endoscopy were dominated by dysphagia in 38.09% of cases. Macroscopically, ulcerative-budding forms were the most common in 76.19% of cases. The lower third of the esophagus was the most affected segment in 95.23% of cases. Histologically, adenocarcinoma predominated in 66.67% of cases. Conclusion: Dysphagia remains the most common manifestation of esophageal cancer, which is mainly located in the lower third of the organ. Adenocarcinoma is the predominant histological type, suggesting a high prevalence of GERD complications, namely EBO.