|
Esophageal cancer
(Esophagus Cancer) is
cancer of the esophagus. The
esophagus is a
hollow tube that carries food and liquids from the
throat to the stomach. When a person swallows, the
muscular walls of the esophagus contract to push
food down into the stomach. Glands in the lining of
the esophagus produce mucus, which keeps the
passageway moist and makes swallowing easier. The esophagus is located just behind the trachea
(windpipe). In an adult, the esophagus is about 10
inches (25 cm) long.
Cancer is a
disease that affects cells, the body's basic unit of
life. To understand any type of cancer, it is
helpful to know about normal cells and what happens
when they become cancerous.
The body is made up of
many types of cells.
Normally, cells grow, divide,
and produce more cells when they are needed.
This process keeps the body healthy and functioning
properly.
Sometimes, however, cells keep dividing
when new cells are not needed. The mass of extra
cells forms a growth or tumor. Tumors can be benign
or malignant.
-
Benign tumors are not
cancer. They usually can
be removed and, in most cases, they do not come
back. Cells in benign tumors do not spread to
other parts of the body. Most important, benign tumors are rarely a threat to life.
-
Malignant tumors are
cancers. Cells in
malignant tumors are abnormal and divide without
control or order. These cancer cells can invade
and destroy the tissue around them.
Cancer cells
can also break away from a malignant tumor and
enter the bloodstream or
lymphatic system (the
tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry
white blood cells that
fight infection and other
diseases). This process, called metastasis, is how
cancer spreads from the original (primary) tumor
to form new (secondary) tumors in other parts of
the body.
Cancer
that begins
in the esophagus (also called esophagus cancer /
esophageal cancer) is
divided into two major types, squamous cell
carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, depending on the type
of cells that are malignant. Squamous cell
carcinomas arise in squamous cells that line the
esophagus. These esophageal cancers usually occur in the upper
and middle part of the esophagus. Adenocarcinomas
usually develop in the glandular tissue in the lower
part of the esophagus. The treatment is similar for
both types of esophageal cancer.
If the
esophageal cancer spreads outside the esophagus, it often goes to the
lymph nodes first. (Lymph nodes are small,
bean-shaped structures that are part of the body's
immune system.) Esophageal cancer can also spread to
almost any other part of the body, including the
liver,
lungs,
brain, and
bones.
Esophageal Cancer
Symptoms
Early esophageal
cancer / esophagus cancer symptoms usually are not apparent. However,
as the cancer grows, symptoms of esophageal cancer
may include:
- difficulty in swallowing often including pain.
-
rapid and severe
weight loss
pain in the throat or back, behind the
breastbone or between the shoulder blades
hoarseness and/or chronic cough
bouts of vomiting
coughing up blood
aspiration Pneumonia
chest pain
These symptoms are
not exclusive to esophageal cancer /
esophagus cancer or any other
condition. However, when they are apparent, it is
important to contact your primary care physician.
Diagnosis of
Esophageal Cancer
To help find the
cause of
esophageal cancer symptoms, the doctor
evaluates a person's medical history and performs a
physical exam. The doctor usually orders a chest
x-ray and other diagnostic tests to identify if they
are esophageal cancer / esophagus cancers. These tests may
include the following:
- An esophagram: A series of x-rays of the esophagus. The patient drinks a liquid containing
barium, which coats the inside of the esophagus.
The barium makes any changes in the shape of the
esophagus show up on the x-rays.
- An endoscopy: An examination of the inside of
the esophagus using a thin lighted tube called an
endoscope. An anesthetic (substance that causes
loss of feeling or awareness) is usually used
during this procedure. If an abnormal area is
found, the doctor can collect cells and tissue
through the endoscope for examination under a
microscope. This is called a biopsy.
A biopsy can
show esophageal cancer, tissue changes that may lead to cancer, or other conditions.
Esophageal Cancer
staging
If the diagnosis
is esophageal cancer / esophagus cancer, the doctor needs to learn the
stage of disease. Staging is a careful attempt to
find out whether the esophageal cancer has spread and, if so,
to what parts of the body.
Knowing the stage of the
esophageal cancer helps the doctor plan treatment. Listed
below are descriptions of the four stages of esophageal cancer.
|
