Esophageal Cancer Day at the Georgia State Capitol

This past Monday was Esophageal Cancer Day at the Georgia State Capitol, in order to raise awareness of the disease and the work being done to help fight it.

Chairman Paul Battles of the Georgia House of Representatives recently recognized the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association (ECAA), an all-volunteer national organization who is dedicated to battling the disease. Their goal is to create a community of EC survivors, patients, and caregivers that can provide support and information while also increasing awareness of the disease, and especially the importance of early detection. The ECAA’s mission is to stimulate and promote research and to offer education in a supportive environment.

Cancer of the esophagus is the second most deadly cancer whose symptoms often go unnoticed, and it has no identifiable risk factors. It can strike any gender, age, or race, and the number of cases diagnosed has seen a phenomenal increase in recent years. Esophageal cancer has risen from approximately 10,000 cases in 2000 to close to 17,000 in 2015 according to SEER data.

Although devastating and aggressive, Esophageal Cancer can be beaten, and the ECAA is working to provide the awareness, education, and support necessary to do so. The President, Rhonda Small, resides in the Atlanta area, and the Executive Director, Melanie Collier, currently lives in Cartersville, Georgia. Chairman Paul Battles represents Georgia House District 15 in the State Legislature.

For more information on Esophageal Cancer and the ECAA, you can visit their website here.