In Germany, esophageal carcinoma is one of the ten most frequent causes of death. Normally the disease is found in men over the age of 50. Although squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus has been more commonly diagnosed over the past 30 years, there is increasing incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (AC) in Western industrialized countries. For SCC the known etiological risk factors are nicotine and alcohol abuse. For AC, they are moderate nicotine and alcohol consumption as well as gastro-esophageal reflux and obesity.