[Results of examination of a population from a region with a high incidence of esophageal cancer: precancerous lesions of the esophageal mucosa].

Esophagoscopic evidence of chronic esophagitis of varying degree was found in 60% of the total number of 1348 examined males living in a region with high incidence of esophageal cancer. The high incidence of chronic esophagitis corroborates the hypothesis that this disease is a precursor of esophageal cancer.