Signs, symptoms & indicators of Increased Risk of Esophageal Cancer
Difficulty swallowing
Counter Indicators
No difficulty swallowing
Risk factors for Increased Risk of Esophageal Cancer
Barrett's Esophagus
For unknown reasons, the incidence of cancers arising in Barrett’s esophagus (defined as the number of cancers per 100,000 people in the general population) is increasing more rapidly than that of any other cancer in the United States. Unfortunately, most of these cancers are not detected until they have become so large that they are incurable. However, cancers in Barrett’s esophagus that are detected when they are early and of small size, have a cure rate that is improved dramatically.
If Barrett’s esophagus is diagnosed, regular follow-up endoscopic biopsy evaluations are recommended for the early detection of changes that could lead to cancer. Surgery is the only therapy that has been proven to cure early adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett’s esophagus. Therefore, if an early cancer is detected in endoscopic biopsies, surgery is generally recommended to remove the cancer and the premalignant Barrett’s epithelium.
Selenium supplementation
Increased Risk of Esophageal Cancer can lead to
Recommendations for Increased Risk of Esophageal Cancer
Green / Oolong / BlackTea (Camellia sinensis)
Regular and substantial consumption of green tea may provide protective effect against this type of cancer. Green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in women by 50%, and in non-smoking men and women by 60% [J Natl Cancer Inst Jun 1, 1994; 86(11): pp.855-8]. Risk decreased as tea consumption increased.
Increased Fish Consumption
Study subjects who ate two or more servings of fish weekly had a much lower risk for esophageal, stomach, colon, rectum, and pancreatic cancers than those who avoided fish. In fact, the rates of these types of cancer were 30 to 50 percent lower among fish eaters. High fish consumption was also associated with lower risks for cancers of the larynx (30 percent lower risk), endometrial cancer (20 percent lower risk), and ovarian cancer (30 percent lower risk).
Key
| Weak or unproven link |
| Strong or generally accepted link |
| Weakly counter-indicative |
| Very strongly or absolutely counter-indicative |
| May do some good |
| Likely to help |
Glossary
Esophagus
Commonly called the "food pipe", it is a narrow muscular tube, about nine and a half inches long, that begins below the tongue and ends at the stomach. It consists of an outer layer of fibrous tissue, a middle layer containing smoother muscle, and an inner membrane, which contains numerous tiny glands. It has muscular sphincters at both its upper and lower ends. The upper sphincter relaxes to allow passage of swallowed food that is then propelled down the esophagus into the stomach by the wave-like peristaltic contractions of the esophageal muscles. There is no protective mucosal layer, so problems can arise when digestive acids reflux into the esophagus from the stomach.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Biopsy
Excision of tissue from a living being for diagnosis.