Esophageal cancer is a serious type of cancer that occurs due to changes in the cells of the esophagus, which become malignant, leading to the appearance of certain signs and symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, the appearance of a lump in the upper part stomach. and black stools, however, the symptoms of esophageal cancer do not appear until the disease is already in a more advanced stage and with metastasis, with less chance of recovery.
Depending on the location of the affected cells, esophageal cancer can be classified into two main types:
- This type of cancer is more common in people over 50 who have risk factors such as obesity.
- Reflux.
- Gastritis or who are smokers.
- Therefore.
- If the person has a sign or symptom related to esophageal cancer and has any risk factors associated with the disease.
- It is recommended to consult a gastroenterologist to make the diagnosis and establish the treatment.
- With the majority being usually recommended to perform surgery to remove part of the esophagus.
- As well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy to remove the cancer cells that can not have been removed during surgery.
Some signs and symptoms that may indicate the development of esophageal cancer are:
Esophageal cancer usually does not cause any signs or symptoms, but as the disease progresses, the characteristic symptoms may begin to be noticed. Therefore, the appearance of symptoms indicates that the disease is already in a more advanced stage and that prompt diagnosis and treatment is important.
The diagnosis of esophageal cancer is made by endoscopy, which is a test done to look inside the esophagus and stomach for signs of damage. If a lump or other abnormality is found during the examination, it is recommended that a biopsy of a sample of the esophageal tissue be taken to verify cellular characteristics, in addition to an x-ray of the esophagus, especially if the person has difficulty. swallow.
In addition, your doctor may recommend a blood test that includes a blood count for anemia and a stool test to check for blood in your stool.
During the endoscopic examination, the doctor can also check the stage of the disease according to the observed characteristics:
However, these stages can be described in more detail based on the type of esophageal cancer diagnosed by the doctor.
The development of esophageal cancer is associated with certain risk factors, such as:
In addition, this type of cancer is most common in patients with diseases such as gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease or Plummer-Vinson syndrome, barrett’s achalasia or esophagus, for example, with irritation of the esophagus usually from reflux of stomach juice or bile.
Treatment for esophageal cancer takes into account the location of the tumor and the stage of the disease, in addition to the person’s medical history, age and symptoms, so treatment of this type of cancer indicated by the oncologist and gastroenterologist may include:
In most cases, these treatments don’t completely cure cancer, they only help reduce cancer symptoms and prolong a patient’s life. The life prognosis of this type of cancer varies depending on the type of cancer, stage, treatments performed and the patient’s response to treatment, but as this disease is detected in most cases at an advanced stage and, therefore, the patient’s life expectancy. The patient, is about 5 years old.
In addition, a patient with esophageal cancer’s life prognosis is higher when the tumor is located only in the esophagus and there is no metastasis.
In the case of cancer of the esophagus, it may be necessary to modify the diet, due to the difficulty in swallowing and the side effects of the treatments, especially the chemotherapy that causes nausea and abdominal discomfort.
For example, it may be necessary to prepare pasty foods, such as porridge and soup in a blender, or add a thickener to liquid foods. In addition, it may be necessary to receive the nutrients directly into the vein or use a nasogastric tube. , which is a tube that goes from the nose to the stomach, to help receive the right food. Discover some food options when you can’t chew.