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Esophageal cancer is a malignant tumor of the esophagus (muscular tube that moves food from the mouth to the stomach).
It occurs more frequently in people over 50 years of age.
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It presents in two ways: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. The two types are different when observed under a microscope.
Esophageal squamous cell cancer: is associated with smoking and alcohol consumption.
Esophageal adenocarcinoma: is the most common type of esophageal cancer and includes risk factors such as: male sex, obesity and smoking.
What are the tests to make a diagnosis?
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Tests used to help diagnose esophageal cancer are: Barium enema, MRI of the chest or chest CT scan (generally used to help determine the stage of the disease), Endoscopic ultrasound (can also be used to determine the stage of the disease ),Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and biopsy,PET scanning (sometimes helpful in determining the stage of the disease and whether surgery is possible), and stool examination which may show small amounts of blood in the stool.
Symptoms
Some symptoms of esophageal cancer are: Backward movement of food through the esophagus and possibly the mouth (regurgitation), Chest pain unrelated to eating, Difficulty swallowing solids or liquids, Heartburn, Vomiting blood and Loss of Weight.
Treatment
The recommended treatment is surgery to remove the cancer, when esophageal cancer occurs only in the esophagus and does not spread.
Chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of the two may be used instead of surgery, or to make surgery easier.
In the case of a patient who is too sick to undergo surgery or when the cancer has spread to other organs, chemotherapy or radiotherapy may be used, which help to reduce symptoms. This is called palliative treatment. In these cases, the disease is generally not curable.
Other tests that may be done to help the patient swallow: Endoscopic dilation of the esophagus (sometimes with the placement of a stent to keep the esophagus dilated). Photodynamic therapy, in which a special drug is injected into the tumor and exposed to light. The light activates the medicine that attacks the tumor.
For patients with disseminated cancer, a cure is usually not possible. The aim of treatment is to alleviate symptoms. If the cancer has not spread outside the esophagus, surgery may increase the chances of survival.
People with symptoms of severe gastroesophageal reflux should seek medical attention.
The so-called EGD scan and biopsy in people with Barrett's esophagus can lead to early detection and increase the chances of survival. Individuals diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus should consider being screened regularly for esophageal cancer.
