What are the symptoms of esophageal cancer?
Esophageal cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract. Early symptoms are often not obvious and can easily be ignored. Understanding the common symptoms of esophageal cancer can help with early detection and treatment. The following is a detailed introduction to the symptoms of esophageal cancer, combined with hot topics and hot content in the past 10 days, to provide you with a comprehensive reference.
1. Common symptoms of esophageal cancer

| Symptoms | Description |
|---|---|
| difficulty swallowing | In the early stage, it may be manifested as a foreign body sensation when swallowing, which gradually worsens in the later stage, and even makes it difficult to swallow solid food. |
| retrosternal pain | Substernal dull pain or burning sensation during or after eating may be related to tumor compression or ulceration. |
| weight loss | Patients may experience unexplained weight loss due to difficulty eating or tumor wasting. |
| Reflux or vomiting | Reflux of food or mucus, and vomiting may occur in severe cases, and the vomit may contain blood. |
| hoarse voice | When a tumor compresses the recurrent laryngeal nerve, it may cause hoarseness. |
| Cough or trouble breathing | When tumors invade the trachea or bronchi, they may cause coughing or difficulty breathing. |
2. Hot topics related to esophageal cancer in the past 10 days
Recently, discussions about esophageal cancer have focused on early screening, the relationship between dietary habits and risk, and the development of new treatments. The following are some hot topics:
| hot topics | Content summary |
|---|---|
| The importance of early screening for esophageal cancer | Experts call on people over the age of 40 to undergo regular gastroscopy, especially high-risk groups who smoke, drink or have a family history. |
| Dietary Habits and Esophageal Cancer Risk | Research shows that long-term consumption of overheated foods, preserved foods, or a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables may increase the risk of esophageal cancer. |
| New developments in immunotherapy | Recent clinical trials have shown that PD-1 inhibitors have significant efficacy in some patients with advanced esophageal cancer. |
3. How to distinguish esophageal cancer from other diseases
Symptoms of esophageal cancer may be similar to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophagitis and other diseases, but the following points can help distinguish them:
| Features | Esophageal cancer | Other diseases (such as GERD) |
|---|---|---|
| Symptom progression | Gradually worsening and difficult to relieve | It may be good or bad, and medicine can relieve it. |
| weight changes | Significant decline | Usually no significant changes |
| Hemorrhagic manifestations | May vomit blood or black stool | less common |
4. When Do You Need Medical Treatment?
If you experience the following conditions, it is recommended to seek medical examination as soon as possible:
| situation | Suggestions |
|---|---|
| Difficulty swallowing that lasts for more than 2 weeks | See a doctor immediately for a gastroscopy |
| Unexplained weight loss (more than 5%) | Need to check for possible tumors |
| Vomiting blood or black stool | emergency medical treatment |
5. Recommendations for preventing esophageal cancer
According to the latest research, the following measures can help reduce the risk of esophageal cancer:
| Suggestions | Description |
|---|---|
| Avoid hot food | Food temperatures exceeding 65°C may damage the esophageal mucosa |
| Quit smoking and limit alcohol | Smoking and alcohol abuse are important risk factors for esophageal cancer |
| balanced diet | Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and reduce pickled foods |
| control weight | Obesity may increase gastroesophageal reflux risk |
Early detection of esophageal cancer is crucial to the effectiveness of treatment. If you have related symptoms or high-risk factors, it is recommended to seek medical examination in time. In the meantime, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the best strategy for preventing esophageal cancer.
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