Magnitude of metastatic esophageal cancer and associated factors among adult patients at Adama Hospital Medical College, Oncology Center, Adama, Central Ethiopia

Background Cancer accounts for one in six deaths globally, with approximately 20 million new cases and over 10 million deaths reported in 2020. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with esophageal cancer metastasis among adult patients at Adama Hospital Medical College. Methods A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2019 to December 2023. A total of 372 patient charts were reviewed from the oncology center's cancer registry. Data were collected via a data abstraction chart and analyzed via Epi-info version 7.2.6.0 and SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and binary logistic regression was applied to identify significant associations between independent variables and esophageal cancer metastasis. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to control for confounding factors. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results This study revealed that 44.6% of patients had esophageal cancer metastasis (95% CI: 39.5–49.6). The liver (24.5%) and lungs (17.7%) were the most common sites of metastasis. Significant predictors of metastasis included urban residency (AOR = 0.04; 95% CI: 0.006–0.287), both mucosal invasion and submucosal invasion (AOR = 0.02; 95% CI: 0.01–0.05), normal weight (AOR = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.001–0.65), formal education (AOR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.07–0.34), and occupational exposure to chemicals (AOR = 4.12; 95% CI: 2.12–8.02). Conclusion Esophageal cancer metastasis is prevalent among patients at Adama Hospital. Residency, depth of invasion, occupational exposure and low body mass index were identified as the variables significantly associated with esophageal cancer metastasis. Early detection and routine screening, particularly for high-risk groups, are recommended.