11 Common Signs And Symptoms Of Esophageal Cancer

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Source: https://medicalnewstoday.com

Life would be pretty desolate without an esophagus. It is that hollow muscular tube responsible for moving food down your throat to your stomach, and can even work while you’re upside down — but esophageal cancer, which directly affects the esophagus, can occur when a malignant tumor forms in the tube’s lining. As this tumor grows, it can affect the deep tissues and muscles of your esophagus, making it difficult to swallow, among other things.

As signs and symptoms are both signals from your body of injury, illness, or disease, they help to make us aware of what is going on in our bodies. A sign is usually seen by someone else, whereas a symptom is a signal that is felt or noticed by the person who has it — but may not readily be seen by anyone else. Having a single sign or symptom is not usually cause for alarm, but it always helps to be alert and to get checked if you or your loved ones have any suspicion that you may be suffering from cancer. Treating cancer early is most effective, as the tumours can still be relatively small and less likely to have metastasized, or spread to other parts of your body. This usually means a better chance for a cure or complete remission, especially if the cancer can be completely removed with surgery and proper treatment.

Read on to find out what the common signs of esophageal cancer are, and if you suspect you may be suffering from it, please make an appointment with your doctor for a screening test immediately.

Two Types of Esophageal Cancer

As it is with most forms of cancer, the cause of esophageal cancer isn’t yet fully known or pinpointed by medical science. It is believed to be related to mutations in the DNA of the esophageal cells, where cells are told to multiply more rapidly than normal cells. These mutations also disrupt the signal for these cells to die when they should, and this causes them to accumulate and become tumors. There are two common types of esophageal cancer, despite the fact that on the whole, it is a rare form of cancer. The first is squamous cell carcinoma; it occurs when cancer starts in the flat, thin cells that make up the lining of the esophagus and most often appears in the top or middle of the esophagus. The second type, known as adenocarcinoma, occurs when cancer starts in the glandular cells of the esophagus that are responsible for the production of mucus and saliva, and this type occurs more in the lower portion of the esophagus, closer to the stomach. If you or someone close to you has a combination of these symptoms, do make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible, in order to either rule out esophageal cancer as the cause, or to start treatment as early as possible.