Esophageal Cancer Dysphagia is the first symptom of esophageal cancer, dysphagia means difficulty in swallowing.
It might later result into a stage of painful swallowing known as odynophagia, though it is easy to swallow fluids, it might become difficult to swallow hard substances like the bread, etc. Other symptoms of esophageal cancer are loss of swallowing reflex, nausea, vomiting, coughing, etc. Another symptom is vomiting up blood called hematemesis.
Esophagus is the long tube, which connects throat and stomach.
All symptoms in this disease arrive quite late; therefore, it becomes difficult to treat cancer. However, certain relief can be exercised by insertion of a tube inside esophagus. If the cancer is localized i.e. limited to one place then the cancer can be removed through surgery, otherwise cancer can be removed or reduced through chemotherapy or laser therapy, whichever suits that type of cancer.
Radiology is another treatment involved in curing cancer; this is generally combined or timed before or after certain treatment. Treatment of cancer depends on mainly on the factors like stage of cancer, general health of the patient, response from the patient to cancer treatment.
There are several reasons for cancer; smoking and alcohol are main reasons for most of the cancers. In case of esophageal cancer too, this happens to the main reason.
This cancer seems to be more common among men than women. Obese people too are at a high risk of esophageal cancer. People who consume caustic substances too are at a risk of this type of cancer.
Esophagus cancer is a rare type of cancer; its occurrence can be divided in geographical regions.
This cancer is found in larger rate in Japan, China, India, UK and all regions surrounding Caspian Sea. Most of the esophageal cancers are malignant, these are responsive to a certain extent to chemotherapy.
Esophageal cancers are carcinomas which come from epithelial cells, these cancers are squamous cell cancers or adenocarcinomas. People with history of gastroesophageal reflux are generally susceptible to this type of cancer.
This cancer can spread throughout the body can cause other diseases like jaundice, metastasis of this cancer to the lungs can also cause shortness of breath for the person, etc.
Esophageal cancer is malignant cancer, metastasis of which is obvious therefore, there are chances of this cancer spreading to other parts of the body as well. It is difficult to detect this cancer in time since its symptoms occur quite late, therefore care should be taken to report any difference in body behaviour to the physician.
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