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Oesophageal cancer

Dagmara Chmurzyńska-Rutkowska

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Oesophageal cancer

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Neck pain

This type of cancer fortunately does not boast a high incidence in our country.

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The prognosis is poor. The five-year survival rate is no more than a few per cent.

Factors that increase the risk of this cancer include:

  • alcohol abuse,
  • cigarette smoking,
  • chewing tobacco,
  • long-term inflammation of the oesophageal mucosa,
  • oesophageal achalasia,
  • plummer-Vinson syndrome,
  • barrett's oesophagus,
  • vitamin deficiencies
  • obesity.

Two main types of oesophageal cancer are known - squamous cell carcinoma (90% of cases in Poland) and adenocarcinoma (10%).

The former type is more common in the middle and upper parts of the oesophagus, while adenocarcinoma usually affects the lower part of the oesophagus, occurs in younger patients and usually in non-smokers. The cancer spreads locally and distant metastases are usually localised to the liver and lungs.

Esophageal-cancer

photo: pantherstock


Dysphagia, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, chest and epigastric pain, gastrointestinal bleeding and progressive cachexia are the most common symptoms of oesophageal cancer mentioned in the literature. Their occurrence, especially in patients at risk, obliges diagnostic tests to be carried out. The basis of diagnosis is endoscopy and radiography of the oesophagus and stomach (the latter is more accessible and better tolerated by patients, but specimens must be taken during endoscopy to make the diagnosis).

In addition, chest radiography, Medical US of the abdomen, CT, endoscopic ultrasonography (more accurate than CT!) and sometimes bronchoscopy are necessary to assess the extent of the cancer.

Treatment of oesophageal cancer is primarily surgical (oesophageal resection). In selected cases, chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy is recommended.