Federal law orders review of esophageal cancer costs and screening

For patients and families facing esophageal cancer, the new federal law changes attention more than treatment. In Washington, Congress says the disease is the fastest increasing cancer among American men, kills one American every 36 minutes, and leaves only about one in five patients alive five years later. Enacted June 9, 2026, the Gerald E. Connolly Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act of 2025 directs the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, to report on the disease and the strain it puts on federal health coverage.

The law does not create a new screening program or a new benefit on its own. Its immediate effect is to make the federal watchdog measure where the burden shows up, especially inside the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which covers federal workers and retirees.

Why lawmakers singled it out

Congress built the case around a disease it says is moving in the wrong direction. The findings say esophageal cancer is the fastest increasing cancer among American men, has grown by more than 700 percent in recent decades, and kills one American every 36 minutes.

Lawmakers also say it is among the deadliest cancers, with only about 1 in 5 patients surviving five years, and that incidence has tripled among younger Americans. The law points to late diagnosis as a central problem, along with Barrett’s esophagus, a precursor condition that can sometimes be found earlier and treated before it turns into cancer.

What the GAO must measure

The report must be delivered within one year of enactment, by June 9, 2027. It has two jobs: estimate the total impact of esophageal cancer-related health care spending under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and examine how often enrollees whose medical records flag them as high-risk are screened under established guidelines.

That makes the law a demand for clearer numbers, not a promise of faster treatment. For people diagnosed with the disease, and for the families and clinicians around them, the point is to push a fast-growing cancer into a more visible place in federal policy.