Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Prostaglandin-endoperoxide Synthase 2 (PTGS2) and Phospholipase A2 Group IIA (PLA2G2A) Genes with Susceptibility to Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

For reasons that are not clear, the highest incidence of esophageal cancer, especially squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), is found in the developing countries, but geographical variation in ESCC incidence within these countries is very striking. The Taihangshan Mountain area, including Linxian in Henan Province, and Cixian, Shexian, Wuan city in Hebei Province, a rural area of China, has the highest incidence of esophageal cancer in the world (>100 per 100, 000 population) (Zhang et al., 2011). Causes for