Symptoms of esophageal cancer spread

Written by Luo Peng
Thoracic Surgery
Updated on September 01, 2024
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The most typical symptom of esophageal cancer, especially in its advanced stages, is difficulty swallowing. As esophageal cancer progresses, patients may further experience difficulty swallowing semi-liquid food, eventually leading to difficulty swallowing even water and saliva. Additionally, as the cancer develops, it might compress the trachea, resulting in symptoms like sticky sputum and difficulty in expectorating. Consequently, due to difficulties in eating, progressive severe weight loss and fatigue often occur. Furthermore, some patients may also experience chest or back pain, and in some cases, an esophageal-tracheal fistula might occur, leading to severe respiratory difficulties and intense choking. Moreover, after advanced esophageal cancer has spread, it may also cause jaundice, ascites, and can metastasize to other parts of the body, potentially resulting in various symptoms.

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Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
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What are the symptoms of esophageal cancer?

The symptoms of esophageal cancer generally include progressive difficulty in swallowing, because the esophagus itself is a tubular cavity, similar to a water pipe. Esophageal cancer typically forms a tumor within this tubular cavity, creating an obstruction. Consequently, the most common symptoms include difficulty swallowing and a sensation of blockage during eating, since food must pass through the esophagus. Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, heartburn, and pain below the breastbone. Moreover, the difficulty in swallowing generally worsens progressively, as the tumor grows from small to large, increasingly narrowing the esophagus and exacerbating the swallowing difficulties.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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How to check for esophageal cancer?

One clinical symptom of esophageal cancer is primarily dysphagia, especially progressive aggravation of dysphagia and difficulty swallowing. When these symptoms occur, the possibility of esophageal cancer should be considered, and one should seek medical attention at a hospital. An esophagoscope examination, which is an endoscopy, should be performed. Usually, under endoscopy, morphological changes in the esophagus can be observed, and if a biopsy is taken and cancer cells are found, esophageal cancer can be diagnosed. Therefore, the primary diagnostic approach for esophageal cancer involves an endoscopic examination and biopsy of the esophageal mass, which is the gold standard for diagnosis. After diagnosis, it is also necessary to perform comprehensive examinations such as chest and full abdominal CT scans, superficial lymph node ultrasound of the whole body, barium meal tests for the esophagus, and other examinations like ultrasound and esophagoscopy to assess the stage of the cancer and decide upon further treatment plans.

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Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
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What are the early signs of esophageal cancer?

The early symptoms of esophageal cancer are often nonspecific and intermittent, thus many patients do not take them seriously and delay the condition. Clinically, common early symptoms of esophageal cancer include a choking sensation when swallowing food, which is more noticeable in patients who swallow dry food or other foods that are not well chewed in large bites. Additionally, there is discomfort or a feeling of fullness behind the sternum. Thirdly, there is a sensation of a foreign body in the esophagus, with about 20% of patients experiencing this sensation when swallowing, as well as dryness and a feeling of tightness in the throat. Furthermore, there is a slow passage and a sense of retention of food.

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Written by Zhai Guo Dong
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The difference between esophagitis and esophageal cancer.

Esophagitis and esophageal cancer have essential differences. Esophagitis is merely an inflammatory disease, which is relatively common in clinical settings and often related to excessive stomach acid, acid reflux, or other physical and chemical irritants. Esophageal cancer, on the other hand, is a malignant tumor. The mechanisms of their development, as well as the differences in prognosis and treatment plans, are very significant.

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Esophageal cancer screening methods

The best and clearest method for screening esophageal cancer is still gastroscopy, which can also be referred to as esophagoscopy. Endoscopic examination is very significant for this type of luminal tumor. Of course, if some people truly cannot tolerate a gastroscopic exam, they might consider initially undergoing a barium meal for the esophagus or iodized oil radiography for diagnosis. Additionally, a chest CT scan can be performed to determine whether there is narrowing in the esophageal lumen or if there is metastasis in the surrounding lymph nodes, among other issues. However, the best and most important method is certainly the esophagoscopy, or taking a biopsy of the pathological tissue under gastroscopy, which is very important for the definitive diagnosis of esophageal cancer.