The esophagus is a special tube made of muscle that starts from the mouth and ends in the stomach. Its function is to deliver swallowed food and drinks to the stomach.
Like many types of cancer today, esophageal cancer is closely related to environmental factors. Chief among these is smoking. This, and especially drinking alcohol, increases the risk of esophageal cancer. In addition, excessively hot drinks, fatty meals low in vegetables and fruits, and damage to the esophagus caused by the stomach acid fluid flowing upwards and backwards, called gastroesophageal reflux, also increase the risk of cancer. ) and adenocarcinoma (usually in the lower part) type. But the symptoms are the same in both, they do not change. At first, there are no symptoms because the cancer tissue is small. However, as it progresses, some symptoms appear. The most important of these is difficulty swallowing. This occurs because as the cancer progresses, it blocks the passage of the esophagus. It feels like there is food stuck in the crop. Other symptoms may include postprandial vomiting (especially undigested food), increased chest or back pain during or after meals, weight loss, bloody vomiting, cough with swallowing, hoarseness, and indigestion. Since these symptoms can also occur in many other diseases, be sure to consult your doctor if you have these complaints; Some additional tests and examinations will be performed. As cancer progresses, the cells that form the cancer leave the tissue in which they are located. Lymph fluid (a special type of blood fluid) can spread to the lymph nodes near the organ and to other parts of the body via blood.
In addition to blood tests, the most commonly used tests in diagnosis are medicated radiography (barium esophageal radiography) and endoscopy (inner examination). . During endoscopy, the obstructing mass is detected and a tissue sample (biopsy) is taken to confirm the diagnosis. This piece is evaluated under the microscope and the definitive diagnosis is clarified. Endoscopy, ultrasound, computed tomography and other new methods (PET, MRI) can be used to evaluate the extent of the disease.
Treatment is related to your general health condition as well as the extent of the disease. If cancer can be caught in the early stages and your general health is good Surgery is the treatment method that should be considered first. However, if the opposite situation occurs, supportive treatments can be applied to control the symptoms and stop the progression of the disease.
If loss of strength and weight loss is evident, intravenous nutritional support treatment may be required for a while before surgery. If possible, surgery is performed without leaving any tumor behind. Depending on the location and level of cancer, the chest, abdomen and neck can be opened. Usually the entire affected esophagus and surrounding lymph nodes are removed. The mouth and stomach are reconnected to each other by various methods, so that food intake can be through the mouth.
In radiation therapy (radiotherapy), powerful X-rays are sent from outside or inside to the area where the cancer is located. It is usually applied together with surgery and drug therapy (chemotherapy). Some drugs are used in chemotherapy to kill cancer cells or stop them from multiplying. This is often used in addition to surgery, such as radiation therapy.
Treatment of this disease is difficult and in some cases impossible. Therefore, taking precautions to prevent it from occurring, first of all, not smoking, is the best option.
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