Awareness of Esophageal Cancer among The Adult General Population in Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Background:-Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most common cancers in Saudi Arabia and sixth of the most common cancer killers worldwide However, no pervasive study assessing EC awareness among the general adult population in the western region of Saudi Arabia has been conducted. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess the level of EC awareness among the general adult population in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Methods:-Between September and November 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional study including 628 adults aged >18 years who resided in the western region of Saudi Arabia during the study period. Data was collected using a previously validated questionnaire, distributed via a Google Form survey. Of these, 118 (18.8%) had a secondary level of education,456 (72.6%) had an undergraduate degree, and 38 (6.1%) had a postgraduate degree. Results:-Good awareness regarding EC risk factors was observed in 87.5% of lower-educated participants compared to 57.9% of those with postgraduate degrees, with a recorded statistical significance (P = .048). Personal characteristics had no significant association with awareness level. Conclusion:-The findings of this study indicated a good level of EC awareness among the Saudi Arabian adult population in the western region. And the awareness regarding risk factors, smoking was the most known, followed by alcohol consumption, and the symptoms awareness, swallowing difficulty was the most known, followed by voice hoarseness. And personal characteristics were not significantly related to overall awareness.