What are the symptoms of esophageal cancer?
Esophageal cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the esophagus. Early symptoms are often not obvious, but as the disease progresses, patients will develop a series of typical symptoms. Understanding these symptoms can help with early detection and treatment. Here are common symptoms and information about esophageal cancer.
1. Common symptoms of esophageal cancer
| Symptoms | Description | Emergence stage |
|---|---|---|
| difficulty swallowing | Initially, it may only be difficult to swallow solid food, but gradually it becomes difficult to swallow liquids as well. | Middle and late period |
| retrosternal pain | Burning, dull pain or pressure under the breastbone when eating or at ordinary times | Middle and late period |
| weight loss | Insufficient nutritional intake due to difficulty eating and significant weight loss | Middle and late period |
| Reflux and vomiting | Reflux of food or secretions into the mouth, possibly accompanied by vomiting | Middle and late period |
| hoarse voice | Tumor invades the recurrent laryngeal nerve causing vocal cord paralysis | Late stage |
| Coughing or choking | Food accidentally entering the trachea causes coughing, which may develop into aspiration pneumonia | Middle and late period |
2. High-risk factors for esophageal cancer
Understanding the high-risk groups for esophageal cancer can help with early screening and prevention:
| high risk factors | Risk level | Prevention advice |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term smoking and drinking | high risk | Quit smoking and limit alcohol |
| Barrett's esophagus | high risk | Regular endoscopy |
| gastroesophageal reflux disease | medium risk | Control reflux symptoms |
| Obesity | medium risk | control weight |
| Bad eating habits | medium risk | Avoid overheating and pickling food |
3. Diagnostic methods of esophageal cancer
When suspicious symptoms appear, you should seek medical treatment promptly for relevant examinations:
| Check method | Check content | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| Gastroscopy | Direct observation of esophageal mucosa and biopsy | gold standard for diagnosis |
| barium meal | Observe the shape of the esophagus under X-ray | Non-invasive examination |
| CT examination | Assess tumor extent and metastasis | Staged assessment |
| PET-CT | whole body metabolic imaging | Distant metastasis detected |
| Endoscopic ultrasound | Assessing depth of tumor invasion | Accurate staging |
4. Treatment options for esophageal cancer
Treatment options vary based on tumor stage and patient condition:
| installment | primary treatment | adjuvant treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Early days | endoscopic resection | Follow-up observation |
| local progression stage | surgical resection | Chemoradiotherapy |
| Late stage | palliative care | Targeted/immunotherapy |
5. Prevention and early screening recommendations
The key to preventing esophageal cancer is to change bad living habits:
1. Stop smoking and limit alcohol consumption to reduce irritation to the esophageal mucosa.
2. Eat a balanced diet and consume more fresh fruits and vegetables
3. Avoid eating hot or pickled foods
4. Control weight and prevent gastroesophageal reflux
5. High-risk groups should undergo regular gastroscopy
The prognosis of esophageal cancer is closely related to the sooner or later it is detected. When symptoms such as persistent difficulty in swallowing or unexplained weight loss occur, you should seek medical examination in time. Early detection and early treatment are the keys to improving survival rate.
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