Esophagus Cancer
Esophagus is a food pipe connecting mouth, pharynx to stomach.
Types
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Adeno Carcinoma
Causes
Experts believe that the irritation of esophageal cells contributes to the development of cancer. Some habits and conditions that can cause irritation include:
- Consuming Alcohol.
- Smoking.
- Having a reflux disorder, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Having Barrett’s esophagus, which is a condition characterized by damaged esophageal lining due to GERD.
- Being overweight.
- Not eating enough fruits and vegetables.
- Having achalasia, a condition where the muscle at the bottom of the esophagus doesn’t relax properly.
Symptoms
Difficulty in swallowing food.
Progressive increase in swallowing problem.
Weight Loss.
Backache.
Cough.
Diagnosis / Tests Required
Endoscopy with Biopsy.
Contrast CT scan chest and abdomen to assess surrounding organ involvement and extent of spread.
Treatment
- Upper 3’rd need Chemo-radiotherapy.
- Middle & lower 3’rd require either Surgery or Radical Radiotherapy.
Surgery V/S Radio Therapy
Surgery has better quality of life than radiation and better chance of cure.
If disease recur after radiation, salvage surgery is extremely difficult,hence fit patient surgery is always first choice.Radiation is generally reserved for patient who are medically unfit for surgery.
Types of Surgery
Transthoracic (through chest)
Transhiatal (through abdomen)
What is neoadjuvant therapy ?
Chemo/radiotherapy given prior to surgery in locally advanced tumors to downstage disease.
It increases chances of total removal, and decreases recurrence chances.
methods of surgery
Open Method
Thoracoscopy / laparoscopy (VATS / LAP)
What is done in VATS ?
VATS is video assisted thoracic surgery.
