Esophageal Cancer Symptoms, Tests And Treatment

The cancer affecting the esophagus is of two key forms: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, dependent on the kind of cells which have turned cancerous.

• Squamous cell carcinoma
  These occur in cells which line the upper 2/3rd portion of the esophagus.
• Adenocarcinoma
  Generally arise in the glandular tissue present in the lower portion of the esophagus. This type is treated in analogous manner, however is based on the details of each person’s case.

Esophageal Cancer symptoms:

Esophageal cancer in its early stages generally is asymptomatic. But, as the cancer metastasizes, symptoms arising could include:

• Problems during ingesting with associated pain.
• Extreme reduction in weight.
• Pain felt in throat or back, in the area flanked by the breastbone and shoulder blades.
• Gruffness or persistent cough.
• Puking.
• Bloody coughs.

Diagnosis & Tests:

In order to decipher the reasons behind the symptoms, the doctor would assess the patient’s medical history and carry out a detailed physical examination. The doctor might probably suggest undergoing a chest X-ray and other kinds of diagnostic tests. These diagnostic tests comprise of the following:

• Barium Ingestion
  Also known as esophagram, is a sequence of X-rays of the esophagus. The patient would be told to ingest a liquid that contains barium that is known to coat the interiors of the esophagus. The barium leads to variations in the shape of the esophagus that appear on the X-rays.
• Gastro-esophagoscopy
  Also known as endoscopy, is an inspection of the interiors of the esophagus and stomach employing a slender, illuminated tube known as the endoscope. Anesthesia for causing numbness is generally employed during the procedure. In case any irregular area is spotted, then the doctor would gather cells and tissues via the endoscope for a biopsy to be conducted on it.
• Biopsy
  Is the removal of a tissue sample for pathological evaluation in order to formulate a diagnosis.

In case esophageal cancer is diagnosed, the doctor would ascertain the staging or extent of spread of the disease. Staging is a meticulous endeavour at finding whether the cancer has metastasized and, if so, to which regions of the body. Being aware of the staging of the disease assists the doctor in deciding the appropriate line of treatment. Stated below are elucidations of the 4 stages of esophageal cancer.

• Stage I
  The cancer is present solely in the uppermost layers of the cells that line the esophagus.
• Stage II
  The cancer has spread to the deeper layers of the esophageal lining, or has metastasized to closely placed lymph nodes, though not to the other areas of the body.
• Stage III
  The cancer has had a deeper spread into the esophageal wall or has metastasized to tissues or lymph nodes close to the esophagus, but not reached the other regions of the body.
• Stage IV
  The cancer has proliferated to the other areas of the body. Esophageal cancer could proliferate to any region of the body inclusive of the liver, lungs, brain and even the bones.

Esophageal Cancer Treatment:

• Surgery
  Surgery is the most prevalent form of esophageal cancer treatment wherein the tumor inclusive of all or parts of the esophagus, closely placed lymph nodes and other tissues present in the region could be removed. The surgery for removal of the esophagus is known as esophagectomy. The remnant normal section of the esophagus is then connected to the stomach to facilitate ingestion. The opening in between the stomach and the small intestine could also be widened for allowing easy passage of the stomach contents into the small intestine. At times, surgery is conducted subsequent to conclusion of other treatments.
• Chemotherapy
  Chemotherapy involves the usage of intravenously administered cancer-combatant drugs that travel through the body and help in killing cancer cells. Chemotherapy could be coalesced with radiation therapy as the main treatment, rather than surgery, or for shrivelling the tumor prior to surgery.
• Laser Therapy
  It employs high-power light for obliterating cancer cells. It solely destroys the malignant cells in the treated area. Laser therapy is done for annihilating tumor cells and relieving an obstruction in the esophagus when the cancer could not be eradicated via surgery. The respite from the obstruction could assist in allaying the symptoms, particularly those faced when trying to swallow.
• Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
  PDT is a kind of laser therapy involving the usage of drugs that are assimilated by the cancer cells. The specialised light when focused onto the malignant region causes an activation of the drugs absorbed by the cancer cells that leads to their destruction. PDT procedure could be employed for allaying symptoms of esophageal cancer like problems faced during ingestion.
• Radiation therapy
  It is also known as radiotherapy wherein the high-power X-rays are used for killing the cancer cells in the specific malignant area. The radiation could be emitted from a machine located outside the body, also known as external radiation, or come from radioactive materials that are placed in or close to the cancer cells, known as internal radiation. A plastic tube could be introduced into the esophagus for keeping it open at the time of the treatment. This treatment procedure is known as intraluminal intubation and dilation. Radiation therapy could be administered by itself or in combination with chemotherapy as main treatment rather than or prior to surgery, particularly when the size and placement of the tumor makes it tricky for removal during surgery. Even when the tumor could not be eradicated during surgery or totally obliterated by radiation therapy, still radiation therapy could mostly aid in allaying pain and make ingestion easier.

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