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Cancer of The Esophagus

What is the Esophagus? Can Cancer of the Esophagus be
Easily Diagnosed, Cured or its Cancer Treated Successfully?

. . . The esophagus is in the chest and is about 10 inches long and the esophagus is part of the digestive tract. Food moves from the cancer of the esophagumouth through the esophagus to the stomach.

The esophagus is a muscular tube. The wall of the esophagus has several layers:


Cancer Cells in the Esophagus

Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body.

Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When normal cells grow old or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

However, this process goes wrong sometimes. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old or damaged cells do not die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

Growths in the wall of the esophagus can be benign or not cancer or malignant or cancer. The smooth inner wall may have an abnormal rough area, an area of tiny bumps, or a tumor.

Malignant growths:

Benign growths are not as damaging as malignant growths.

Benign growths:

Esophageal cancer begins in cells in inner layer of esophagus. Over a manner of time, the cancer may invade more deeply into the esophagus and nearby tissues.

Cancer cells can spread by breaking away from the original tumor. They may enter blood vessels or lymph vessels, which branch into all the tissues of the body. The cancer cells may attach to other tissues and grow to form new tumors that may damage those tissues. The spread of cancer cells is called metastasis. See the Staging section for information about esophageal cancer that has spread.


Types of Esophageal Cancer

There are two primary kinds of esophageal cancer. Both types of esophageal cancer are managed, diagnosed and treated in similar ways.

The two most common types are named for how the cancer cells look under a microscope. Both types begin in cells in the inner lining of the esophagus:

Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus: This type is usually found in the lower part of the esophagus, near the stomach. In the United States, adenocarcinoma is the most common type of esophageal cancer. It's been increasing since the 1970s.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: This type is usually found in the upper part of the esophagus. This type is becoming less common among Americans. Around the world, however, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type.


Risk Factors for Esophagus Cancer

When you get a diagnosis of cancer, it's natural to wonder what may have caused the disease. Doctors can seldom explain why one person develops esophageal cancer and another doesn't. However, we do know that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop esophageal cancer. A risk factor is something which can increase the chance of getting a medical condition or disease. Click now for Health Tip of the Day.

Studies have found the following risk factors for esophageal cancer:

Age 65 or older: Age is the main risk factor for esophageal cancer. The chance of getting this disease goes up as you age. In the USA, most people are age 65 years or older when they are first diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Being male: In the United States, men are 3-times as likely as women to develop esophageal cancer.

Most people who have Barrett esophagus don't know it. The presence of Barrett esophagus increases the risk of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. It's a greater risk factor than acid reflux alone.

Many other possible risk factors, such as chewing tobacco have been studied. Researchers continue to study these possible risk factors.

Having a risk factor doesn't mean that a person will develop cancer of the esophagus. Most people who have risk factors never develop esophageal cancer.

Websites of Interest

   Bacterial Meningitis

   America's Health

   Mesothelioma Cancer

   Disease Causes & Symptoms

   2 Cancer

   Fibromyalgia

   Acid Reflux Esophagus

   Cancer Nutrition Information

   Chronic Acid Reflux News



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