About Esophagus Cancer

The muscular tube that connects the back of the throat to the stomach is the esophagus. The purpose of the esophagus is to carry chewed food down to the stomach for digestion. Esophageal cancer is cancer that affects the esophagus. Esophageal cancer begins in the lining of the esophageal tube. Depending on the stage of the cancer, it can spread from the lining to surrounding organs and throughout the body.

Definition

• Esophageal cancer is a form of cancer that occurs in the esophagus. Esophageal cancer normally occurs in the lower part of the esophageal tube, but can occur anywhere along the esophagus.

Identification

• Cancer of the esophagus is undetectable from the outside. In order to see a tumor from esophageal cancer, doctors have to look inside the body. An endoscopy allows a doctor to see tumors inside the esophagus by inserting a tube with a lens down the esophagus. Another way for doctors to look inside the body is with a barium swallow study, which involves a series of X-rays taken after drinking a thick barium liquid that coats the throat and allows for detailed imaging of it on the X-rays.
  Biopsies of abnormalities via endoscopy or bronchoscopy allow doctors to determine whether the abnormality is cancer and to identify the exact type of cancer the tumor is. Once diagnosed, computerized tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography (PET) scans allow for staging of the disease by looking for spread of the cancer to other areas in the body.
  Stage 1 cancer involves only the cells of the esophagus. Stage 2 indicates that the cancer has spread to deeper esophageal tissues and possibly lymph nodes. Stage 3 indicates that the cancer has spread to the deepest layer of esophageal tissues or lymph nodes. Stage 4 esophageal cancers means that the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Types

• Esophageal cancer consists of two different types of cancer. These types include adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the lining of the esophagus. Adenocarcinoma begins in the cells that are responsible for the production of mucus and fluids.

Effects

• An esophageal tumor can cause difficulty swallowing food. To keep the esophagus open and alleviate any obstruction, doctors can insert a stent in the esophagus. This allows for easy passage of solid foods and keeps the tumor from obstructing the esophagus. If the tumor takes over the esophagus or if the doctor is unable to open the esophagus to allow food to pass through, intravenous nutrition provides caloric content to the patient.

Prevention/Solution

• Esophageal cancer is directly associated with smoking cigarettes. Eliminating this unhealthy habit greatly reduces the risk of developing esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer also has a genetic link, so some people are at risk simply because it runs in their family. Screenings for esophageal cancer for these at-risk individuals increases the likelihood of catching the cancer in an early stage, leading to a positive prognosis.

Treatment

• Depending on the stage of the esophageal cancer, doctors can choose from several treatments, or combine treatments for an aggressive approach. Treatments include esophageal surgery to remove the invaded part of the esophagus; radiation therapy; chemotherapy treatment; laser therapy, which uses a laser beam to eliminate cancer cells; and electrocoagulation, which utilizes an electric current to destroy cancer cells.