Esophageal cancer treatment: Does it spread quickly

Esophageal cancer is the type of cancer that develops in the tissues of the esophagus, and usually specifically the cells that line its inside.

The esophagus is located between the throat and stomach, and its main purpose is to get the food and liquid a person consumes down to the stomach. The walls of this important organ do not have just one layer but lots of them. Some of the layers are mucous membrane, muscle, and connective tissue. The inside layer is the usual place where esophageal cancer starts to develop. From there, the cancer can move to the other layers of the esophagus.

How fast does esophageal cancer develop?

A fair number of types of esophageal cancer exist, but two are seen most often. These two are called squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Both types got their names from the cells where the cancer initially develops.

• Squamous cell carcinoma can start anywhere along the esophagus but is mainly seen in the middle and upper part of it.
• On the other hand, adenocarcinoma usually develops in the lower part of the esophagus, closer to the stomach.

Risk factors are present with every type of cancer, and the situation is no different with cancer of the esophagus. Some of factors that increase a person's risk of esopghageal cancer can be influenced (modifiable risk factors). These include tobacco use (smoking) and heavy alcohol use, as well as poor diet and even routinely drinking extremely hot  beverages. Other risk factors for esophageal cancer are not modifiable, meaning you cannot influence them. These risk factors include being male, African-American, having a HPV infection, suffering from GERD, and being of old age (over 65). A certain condition named Barrett syndrome increases the risk of esophageal cancer as well.

Noticing the early signs of cancer is essential because the chances of survival are higher if the treatment is started in the early stages of the disease. Problems with swallowing and weight loss are two of the signs that are seen most often. Apart from these symptoms of esophageal cancer, pain behind the breastbone, cough, hoarseness, indigestion, and heartburn are also some of the symptoms that can point to cancer of the esophagus.

A proper diagnosis of esophageal cancer requires certain tests and examinations. Chest X-ray, barium swallow, esophagoscopy and biopsy are used most often when a diagnosis of this type of cancer needs to be made. Apart from these tests, the doctor will perform a physical exam and talk to the patient about the symptoms he or she is experiencing and get their medical history.

Once the diagnosis of esophageal cancer is made, the doctor will make a prognosis. However, making a prognosis is not an easy task and several factors like the stage of the cancer, the size of the tumor and the general health of the patient play a vital role.

Discovering the cancer in its early stages provides better odds of successful treatment. However, the problem with this cancer type is that it is usually diagnosed in an advanced stage. Esophageal cancer can be treated in later stages, but the patient does not often survive.

Almost every type of cancer spreads through the body, or metastasizes. Cancer of the esophagus can spread to other parts of the body in three ways.

• The cancer can attack the surrounding normal tissue and move through these tissues. If it attacks the lymph system, the cancer will be able to move through the lymph vessels all over the body.
• The cancer can also move through blood if it invades the veins and capillaries.
• When the cancer spreads from the esophagus to other parts of the body, other tumors may form. Metastasis is the name of that process. The secondary tumor is of the same type as the primary tumor.

What are the treatment options for esophageal cancer?

People who are diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus have several available treatment options. These options are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

A combination of these treatments is often used as it increases the chance of survival in some situations.

More than one type of surgery exists for cancer of the esophagus, and the kind of surgery a patient is recommended to undergo mainly depends on the location of the cancer. In a majority of patients, the part of the esophagus with cancer, lymph nodes, and nearby soft tissues will be removed.

In some situations, even a part of the stomach is removed as well. However, not every person can receive all treatments used for esophageal cancer. Certain factors that determine the type of treatment suitable for an individual patient exist. The general health of the patient, the symptoms, the location of the cancer in the esophagus, and whether the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes or other organs, or invaded nearby structures, are the most significant factors that decide the type of treatment.

Doctors are unable to treat cancer of the esophagus as well as they would like with the currently-available treatment options and that is one of the main reasons why lots of doctors advise patients to consider taking part in a clinical trial. A clinical trial is a research study that investigates new ways of treatment. Patients with all stages of esophageal cancer should be aware of the importance of clinical trials.

The actual treatment for this type of cancer is not often decided by only the doctor and the patient. A group of specialists will be closely involved in the process, monitoring and advising patients every step of the way.