Esophageal cancer (patient information)
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What is esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is not very common in the United States. The esophagus is a hollow muscular tube, starting in the throat and ending at the stomach, which is to carry the food you swallow to the stomach to be digested. It is hard to detect early for esophageal cancer. Even if you get symptoms, they may not cause your emphasis. However, as the cancer grows, symptoms may include dysphagia, chest pain, weight loss and coughing up blood. Treatments include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and laser therapy. Esophageal cancer patients need nutritional support.
How do I know if I have esophageal cancer and what are the symptoms of esophageal cancer?
Early esophageal cancer does not make any symptoms. When the cancer grows larger, people may notice one or more symptoms as the following:
- Dysphagia: This is the most common symptom of esophageal cancer. It means problem swallowing, with the feeling like the food is stuck in the throat or chest. At first it is often mild, and then gets worse and worse. At last, patients can eat nothing except water.
- Chest pain or chest burning sensation: Chest pain with swallowing may occur when the cancer is large enough to block the esophagus. Some patients describe a feeling of pressure or burning in the chest.
- Hiccups: This happens because the digestive dysfunction of the esophagus.
- vomitting blood: When lump invades blood vessle, vomitting blood may happen. This may e the first symptom in some patient.
- Wleigh loss: This is because the swallowing problems prevent patients from eating enough to maintain their weight. Other factors include loss of appetite and increase in metabolism from the cancer.
Infections or other health problems may also cause these symptoms. Only a doctor can tell for sure. A person with any of these symptoms should tell the doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
Who is at risk for esophageal cancer?
How to know you have esophageal cancer?
When to seek urgent medical care
Treatment options
Diseases with similar symptoms
Where to find medical care for esophageal cancer
Prevention of esophageal cancer
What to expect (Outook/Prognosis)
Copyleft Sources
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/esophagealcancer.html
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_esophagus_cancer_12.asp?sitearea=