食管的鳞状细胞癌与环境因素密切相关。其发病率在世界各地相差悬殊。在中国70％的食管癌通过普查早期发现,经手术治疗者5年存活率高于90％,而未经治疗者为62.5％。而在美国所有食管癌的5年存活率近10％。通过普查发现早期食管癌是一公共健康问题。球网脱落细胞学检查是肯定的早期诊断方法。原位癌及侵入的病变在内镜和大体检查中是不明显的,实际66％的病人可由常规内镜检查漏诊,同时食管炎和原位癌 Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is closely related to environmental factors. The incidence rate varies widely across the world. In 70% of esophageal cancers in China through the census, it was found that the 5-year survival rate of surgical treatment was higher than 90%, compared with 62.5% of untreated patients. The 5-year survival rate for all esophageal cancers in the United States is nearly 10%. Through the census, early esophageal cancer is a public health problem. Ball mesh exfoliation cytology is an affirmative method of early diagnosis. In situ carcinoma and invasive lesions are insignificant in endoscopy and gross examinations. Actually, 66% of patients can be missed by conventional endoscopy, with esophagitis and carcinoma in situ.