Esophageal Cancer Esophageal cancer (or oesophageal cancer) is cancer arising from the esophagus — the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include trouble swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain with swallowing, a hoarse voice, enlarged lymph nodes (glands) around the clavicle (collarbone), a dry cough, and possibly coughing up or vomiting blood. The two main sub-types of esophageal cancer are squamous-cell carcinoma, which is more common in the developing world, andadenocarcinoma, which is more common in the developed world. A number of less common types also occur. Squamous-cell carcinoma arises from the skin cells that line the esophagus. Adenocarcinoma arises from glandular cells present in the lower third of the esophagus, often where they have already transformed to intestinal cell type (a condition known as Barrett's esophagus). The most common causes of the squamous-cell type are: tobacco, alcohol, very hot drinks, and a poor diet. The most common causes of the adenocarcinoma type are smoking tobacco, obesity, and acid reflux. The disease is diagnosed by biopsy done by an endoscope (a fiber optic camera). Prevention includes stopping smoking and a healthy diet. Treatment is based on the cancer's stage and location, together with the person's general condition and individual preferences. Small localized squamous-cell cancers may be treated with surgery alone with the hope of a cure. In most other cases, chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy is used along with surgery. Larger tumors may have their growth slowed with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In the presence of extensive disease or if the affected person is not fit enough to undergo surgery, palliative care is often recommended. Outcomes are related to the extent of the disease and other medical conditions, but generally tend to be fairly poor, as diagnosis is often late. Five-year survival rates are around 13% to 18%. As of 2012, esophageal cancer is the eighth-most common cancer globally with 456,000 new cases during the year. It caused about 400,000 deaths that year, up from 345,000 in 1990. Rates vary widely between countries, with about half of all cases occurring in China. It is around three times more common in men than in women.
Signs and symptoms Prominent symptoms usually do not appear until the cancer has infiltrated over 60% of the tube's circumference, by which time the tumor is already in an Dr. Sanjiv Haribhakti
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