Esophageal Cancer Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

What is Esophageal cancer?

The Esophageal Cancer begins in the cells that line the inside of the esophagus. It's types are usually squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma that originates in the columnar epithelium is relatively small. About 95% of Esophageal Cancer in America is squamous cell carcinoma, and about 5% is adenocarcinoma and other cancers.

The esophagus is an elongated tube-like organ that connects the mouth and stomach, and is divided into cervical esophagus, thoracic esophagus, and abdominal esophagus.

The mucous membrane that lines the lining of the esophagus is the squamous epithelium, almost the same shape as the tissue that lines the skin.

According to statistics from the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic Esophageal Tumor accounts for the majority of 84%, Abdominal Esophageal Tumor 6%, and Cervical Esophageal Tumor 5%. In addition, 3.5% had two or more multiple cancers

Key Points:

Types of Esophageal cancer Disease
Signs and Symptoms of Esophageal Cancer
Causes of Esophageal Cancer Disease
Treatment for Esophageal Cancer Disease

Types of Esophageal cancer Disease

There are two main types as following :

• Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma arising from columnar epithelium :

Embryologically, there is a period during the embryonic period when the same columnar epithelium as the stomach covers the inner surface of the esophagus. It may turn into columnar epithelium.

The columnar epithelium formed by reflux esophagitis is called Barrett's epithelium, and it is said that this epithelium frequently produces adenocarcinoma, similar to gastric cancer. 

The adenocarcinoma has recently increased in Europe and the United States, and more than 50% of Esophageal Tumor is adenocarcinoma. In Japan, Barrett's adenocarcinoma is on the rise, albeit slightly.

Signs and Symptoms of Esophageal Cancer:

Most of the Symptoms of Esophageal Cancer are caused by the narrowing of the esophagus lumen due to cancer, but the esophageal wall is considerably elongated, so if the cancer does not extend from two-thirds of the esophageal wall to the entire circumference, stenosis will occur It doesn't seem clear what the symptoms will be when you do it. 

So when you have symptoms that you can use, the cancer has spread over a fairly wide area.

The subjective symptoms of Esophageal Tumor vary slightly depending on the degree and location of the cancer 

Advanced cancer is characterized by food sensation :

Advanced cancer often complains due to “stick food”. You may feel pain when food passes. In rare cases, there are no symptoms. The area around the esophagus includes the trachea, bronchi, lungs, aorta, recurrent laryngeal nerve (nerve distributed in the vocal cords), and the spinal column.

Cancer progresses and invades these surrounding organs. When it comes, there are many other Signs besides esophageal symptoms. These include weight loss, vomiting, coughing, vocalizations (hoarseness), and back pain.

The feeling of holding food tends to come out especially when eating in a hurry or when not eating well. Therefore, even if you feel a sense of catch, if you eat it slowly and well, you will not be able to catch it. However, in such cases, the meal time will be longer, so if you are careful, your family may notice the change.

More than half people with no symptoms with early cancer :

Early cancers have slightly different symptoms. Most people have no symptoms and, unlike advanced cancers, have much less complaints about eating, and some people complain of esophageal discomfort, discomfort and discomfort.

Shallow erosion-type Esophageal Cancer often seems to complain, especially with irritants such as oranges.

What are main Causes of Esophageal Cancer Disease?

• Sake
• Tobacco
• Drinking
• Carcinogen

The cause of Esophageal Cancer , like other cancers, is not yet clear. However, it is overwhelmingly prevalent in men (male to female ratio: about 7: 1), and there seems to be a link between drinking and smoking as an incentive.

It has been reported that the incidence of Esophageal Tumor in people with habits of heavy smoking and heavy drinking is 40 times that of those who do not smoke or drink. It is also said that those who like irritants, hot meals and hot tea have more Esophageal Tumor. Nitrosamine is well known as a carcinogen.

In the age distribution, those in their 60s are the most common, followed by those in their 50s and 70s who are relatively older.

Esophageal Cancer affects 15.1 males and 3.0 females in a population of 100,000,  9.0 in total (gross morbidity), and 13.6 males and 2.1 females in age-adjusted morbidity. Almost flat. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's 2002 statistics, themortality ratefrom Esophageal Tumor is about 10 males and 1.5 females per 100,000 population.

Nitrosamine
It is a yellow oily liquid or solid produced by the action of nitrous acid on amines and is carcinogenic. It is also produced in the human body from nitrites, which are used in preservatives such as ham and sausage, and color former.

What is Treatment for Esophageal Cancer Disease?

Following  are the Main treatments for Esophageal Tumor :

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Hyperthermia
• Immunotherapy 

But these treatments are not usually performed alone, but are appropriately combined with several treatments (multidisciplinary treatment).

Surgical resection is the basis of current treatment, but recently chemo-radiation therapy with anticancer drugs has also been used.

Esophageal Cancer , but the degree of progress will be determined by the degree of the depth of cancer and (wall depth of invasion) transition, according to a Study Group in Japan esophageal disease that was issued in December 2002 (currently Japan esophagus Society) is the esophagus According to the cancer treatment guidelines