Did you know that Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer death worldwide?
Hi viewers and welcome back to Bestie. Esophageal cancer occurs in the esophagus,
which is a long, hollow tube that runs from your throat to your stomach. It
helps move the food you swallow from the back of your throat to your stomach to be digested.
More men get this cancer and it often doesn’t cause symptoms in its early stages.
Diagnosis in people without symptoms is usually discovered accidentally,
because of tests run for other medical problems.
Although its early signs are difficult to detect, it is important to recognize the
small signs your body gives you that might indicate esophageal cancer. And in today’s
video, we will tell you what they are. From unexplained weight loss, chest pain, fatigue,
painful swallowing to constant cough and more, watch till the end to learn about all of them.
Unexplained Weight Loss: About half of esophageal cancer patients
lose weight without trying to. This is a result of difficulty swallowing,
when swallowing becomes painful, people often begin changing their diet habits without
realizing it. They may take smaller bites or chew food more carefully.
As the cancer grows larger, they may begin eating softer foods avoiding dry foods like bread and
meat, as these are especially difficult to swallow. Other factors that contribute to
weight loss include a decreased appetite and increased metabolism from the cancer.
What’s the maximum weight you’ve lost in a year?
Tell us quickly down below in the comments section!
Persistent Cough: A persistent cough is present in around 20 percent of people
who are diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The cough will often be dry
and annoying and may occur any time of day. Coughing may worsen after eating.
This is often related to complications of esophageal cancer. Sometimes, not.
You may also experience excess saliva.
To help pass food through the esophagus, your body makes more saliva.
As it becomes more difficult to swallow, the body produces more saliva to compensate.
Heartburn, Chest Pain, and Indigestion: A sensation of burning or pain behind the
breastbone is common, and often begins after a large meal. This can be challenging as heartburn
is also a symptom of acid reflux, which is a common risk factor for esophageal cancer.
For those who have acid reflux, a change in the quality or severity of heartburn symptoms may
signal the presence of cancer. Along with burning,
some people feel chest pressure and fear they are having a heart attack.
Hoarseness: A sensation of hoarseness, loss of voice, or the need to clear your throat frequently
may be an initial symptom of the disease. This is especially true when there isn't an
obvious cause such as a recent upper respiratory infection.
Hoarseness often occurs when a tumor reaches a nerve known as the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
Painful Swallowing: If the esophagus narrows because of cancer, food may have a hard time
passing through on its way to the stomach. If food goes down, you may sense that it's
taking longer than normal to do so. This can create the sensation of food getting stuck or
leading you to choke. That said, the esophagus is largely narrowed before symptoms occur.
Swallowing may become painful. The pain can be felt within a few moments of swallowing when
the food or liquid reaches the tumor and can't pass. Pain may also occur if the cancer causes
an open sore in the lining of the esophagus, or if it invades surrounding tissues. Pain between
the shoulder blades in the back or throughout the chest may also be felt with swallowing.
Regurgitation of Food or Vomiting: When food won't pass easily through the esophagus,
it may come back up whole and undigested. This occurs in around 40 percent of people with
esophageal cancer. Vomiting of food or blood may also occur, especially if a tumor begins to bleed.
Fatigue: A crazy-busy lifestyle, nearly any medical condition, and everything from
allergies to migraines, can leave you exhausted. But if you’re feeling more fatigued than normal
and you notice other symptoms of esophageal cancer, it might be time to see a doctor.
It’s worth noting that people between 45 and 70 are most at risk from esophageal cancer.
If it turns out you do have it, it’s operable if found during stages 1, 2, and 3.
Hiccups and Shortness Of Breath: Hiccups may occur when an esophageal tumor invades
nerves or the diaphragm. Irritation of these structures causes these repeated contractions.
Some people may even experience shortness of breath. This
is due to local spread of the tumor in the chest and subsequent pneumonia.
Back Pain And Tenderness in Bones:
Back pain is fairly common in advanced esophageal cancer. This is due to the invasion
of the tumor into the area between the lungs or between the membranes that line the heart.
This cancer can spread to the bones which can cause tenderness and pain. Sometimes, a fracture
may occur through an area of weakened bone. Cancer which has spread to the bones can also cause an
elevated calcium level in the blood that can lead to muscle cramps, weakness, and confusion.
You can manage back pain by doing some simple and safe exercises. To learn more about them,
watch this video titled “8 Safe and Effective Exercises for Lower Back Pain”
Now, back to Symptoms Of Esophageal Cancer, Diagnosis And Treatment.
So, how is Esophageal Cancer Diagnosed?
Barium swallow study: During this study, you swallow a liquid that includes barium and then
undergo X-rays. The barium coats the inside of your esophagus,
which then shows any changes to the tissue on the X-ray.
Endoscopy: During endoscopy, your doctor passes a flexible tube
equipped with a video lens down your throat and into your esophagus. Using the endoscope,
your doctor examines your esophagus, looking for cancer or areas of irritation.
Biopsy: Your doctor may use a special scope passed down your throat into your esophagus to collect
a sample of suspicious tissue. The tissue sample is sent to a laboratory to look for cancer cells.
What type of treatments are available for Esophageal Cancer?
Surgery: The decision to undergo surgery and the type of surgery that might be appropriate
depends on what stage the cancer is in, plus the underlying health of the patient.
Surgery may involve esophagectomy or removal of the whole esophagus.
Some patients are able to have the removed esophagus replaced with another piece of
bowel to connect the mouth to the stomach. If that is not possible,
gastrostomy may be required to get food and fluid into the stomach to be digested. A tube
is placed through the skin and anchored into the stomach to allow tube feedings.
Chemotherapy and Radiation: Radiation and Chemotherapy may help shrink the tumor. Surgery
could be delayed after the diagnosis to allow the chemotherapy and radiation to be administered.
Chemotherapy and radiation that have been started after surgery have not been shown
to increase survival. However, there may be a benefit to survival when these therapies
are continued after surgery, if they were started before the operation.
Targeted therapy: There are disease-specific genes associated with esophageal cancer.
In certain circumstances, the tumor can be tested to see whether they are present or
not. Targeted medications can attach or bind to different protein sites on the tumor cells
and stop tumour growth. This is immunotherapy, specific cancer-fighting medications that try
to kill only tumor cells, unlike chemotherapy, which also kills normal cells as a side effect.
Photodynamic therapy: Light therapy may be used to treat esophageal cancers that are small in
size and have not spread. In this treatment, a photo-sensitizing drug is injected into
the body where it is absorbed by cells, where they can last for two to three days. However,
cancer cells seem to keep a concentration of the drug longer.
When the patient is exposed to light from a laser, the drug may kill the cancer cell.
This type of treatment is limited because light
cannot penetrate deeply into the body and is effective in only small tumors.
At present, photodynamic therapy is approved for esophageal cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer.
Can you prevent Esophageal Cancer in the first place?
You can help to prevent or minimise the risk of oesophageal cancer by eliminating
risk factors from your lifestyle. Smoking is a big one, so if you smoke, you should stop.
Heavy alcohol intake is also a major risk, so cutting down or eliminating your intake
of alcohol is also recommended. Also, it is always wise to eat a well-balanced diet,
including a variety of fruits and vegetables. If you’re overweight
try to get to a healthy weight and keep it off for as long as you can.
Longstanding gastro-oesophageal reflux disease can cause Barrett’s oesophagus,
a major risk factor for esophageal cancer.
This may require regular endoscopies. People with esophageal cancer detected in the early stages
through screening have a good chance of successful treatment with less invasive procedures.
While these are some signs of esophageal cancer,
there are other deadly diseases that also have certain warning signs. Learn more about them by:
Watching: 4 Ovarian Cancer Symptoms That Every Woman Needs To Know
Or
Learning about The Health Symptoms That Men Should Never Ignore
These 2 videos will definitely help you identify symptoms of dangerous diseases at an early stage.
So go ahead and watch them to understand these signs better!
What steps have you taken to be healthier? Let us know in the comments section below!