Esophageal sponge sampling: A promising approach for early detection of esophageal cancer in Africa's high‐incidence region.

Esophageal cancer remains a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) constitutes the majority of the global burden of disease, accounting for 84% of all incident cases.1 ESCC is unique in its marked geographic variations in incidence. Given the variability in ESCC incidence rates throughout Africa's high-risk corridor, population-based screening approaches will be most cost-effective if adapted to regional disease patterns. [Extracted from the article]