Esophageal Cancer

ESOPHAGEAL CANCER

General Infomation
Definition: 

Esophageal cancer is cancer that occurs in the esophagus — a long hollow tube that runs from your throat to your stomach. Your esophagus carries food you swallow to your stomach to be digested.

Esophageal cancer usually begins in the cells that line the inside of the esophagus. Esophageal cancer can occur anywhere along the esophagus, but in people in the United States, it occurs most often in the lower portion of the esophagus.

Symptoms: 

Signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer include:

* Difficulty swallowing
* Losing weight without trying
* Chest pain
* Fatigue

Early esophageal cancer typically causes no signs or symptoms.

Causes & Complication
Causes: 

Esophageal cancer occurs when cells in your esophagus develop errors (mutations) in their DNA. The errors make cells grow and divide out of control. The accumulating abnormal cells form a tumor in the esophagus that can grow to invade nearby structures and spread to other parts of the body.

Types of esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is classified according to the type of cells that are involved. The type of esophageal cancer you have helps determine your treatment options. Types of esophageal cancer include:

* Adenocarcinoma which begins in the cells of mucus-secreting glands in the esophagus. It occurs most often in the lower portion of the esophagus and is the most common form of esophageal cancer in the United States.
* Squamous cell carcinoma. The squamous cells are flat, thin cells that line the surface of the esophagus. Squamous cell carcinoma occurs most often in the middle of the esophagus. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most prevalent esophageal cancer worldwide.
* Other rare types. Rare forms of esophageal cancer include choriocarcinoma, lymphoma, melanoma, sarcoma and small cell cancer.

Complications: 

As esophageal cancer advances, it can cause complications, such as:

* Obstruction of the esophagus. Cancer may make it difficult or impossible for food and liquid to pass through your esophagus.
* Cancer pain. Advanced esophageal cancer can cause pain. Your doctor will work to determine causes of your pain and appropriate treatments to make you more comfortable.
* Bleeding in the esophagus. Esophageal cancer can cause bleeding. Though bleeding is usually gradual, it can be sudden and severe at times.
* Severe weight loss. Esophageal cancer can make it difficult and painful to swallow food and drinks.
* Coughing. Esophageal cancer can erode your esophagus and create a hole into your wind pipe (trachea). Known as a tracheoesophageal fistula, this hole can cause severe and sudden coughing when swallowing.

Medication & Prevention
Lifestyle and Home Remedies: 

Poor appetite, difficulty swallowing, weight loss and weakness are often problems for people with esophageal cancer. These symptoms may be compounded by cancer treatments and by the need for a liquid diet, tube feeding or intravenous feeding during the course of treatment.

* Choose easy-to-swallow foods. If you have trouble swallowing, choose foods that are soothing and easy to swallow, such as soups, yogurt or milkshakes.
* Eat smaller meals more frequently. Eat several small meals throughout the day instead of two or three larger ones.
* Keep nourishing snacks within easy reach. If snacks are readily available, you're more likely to eat.
* Talk to your doctor about vitamin and mineral supplements. If you haven't been eating as much as you normally would or if your diet is restricted, you could be deficient in a variety of nutrients.

Alternative Medicine: 

Herbal medicine is the best way to treat cancers of all types. Herbs can detoxify the body and get rid of toxins such as heavy metals and dyes. They also kills parasites which produce cysts that make cells to stick together and mestacise.

Zapping is another way to treat cancer very effectively. This involves passing radio waves (50 khz). to the affected patient. The radio waves neutralises the cancer cells and does not harm the normal body cells. This is what they use in Israel, Japan, China and USA. We have this type of therapy in our clinic. Kindly visit us for more information. Call 0720760419

Prevention: 

You can take steps to reduce your risk of esophageal cancer. For instance:

* Quit drinking alcohol,smoking or chewing tobacco.
* Eat more fruits and vegetables. Add a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet.
* Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, talk to your doctor about strategies to help you lose weight. Aim for a slow and steady weight loss of 1 or 2 pounds a week.

By Anonymous on 25 April 2011