Most esophageal cancers start in the cells that line the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. These cells often develop changes (mutations) that lead to cancer. The mutated cells may grow, invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body.
Many people with esophageal cancer have few symptoms in the early stages of the disease. This is because the esophagus is very flexible and can expand around tumors. This is also why it’s hard for doctors to diagnose esophageal cancer until it becomes very large.
In later stages of esophageal cancer, the tumor may cause symptoms such as difficulty swallowing or pain. Sometimes the tumor is so big that it narrows the esophagus and makes it hard to eat. People with this problem often change their diet, eating smaller and softer foods that will pass more easily through the esophagus. This can lead to weight loss. Swallowing may become painful as the cancer grows, and some people stop eating solid food and switch to a liquid diet.
Coughing that won’t go away is another symptom of esophageal cancer. Your voice might sound hoarse or croaky. This is a common side effect of esophageal cancer, but it can also be caused by other conditions. You might cough up blood or have blood in your vomit or poop. Your poop can turn black if you have a lot of bleeding in your esophagus, but this isn’t very common.
It’s important to see your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. He or she will ask you how long you’ve been having them and what other symptoms you’ve had. He or she will do a physical exam and look for signs of cancer, such as lumps in the neck.
If the esophageal cancer has spread to other parts of the body, your doctor will give you a number that describes how far the cancer has progressed, or metastasized. The number is called your cancer stage. Different treatments are used for different stages of esophageal cancer.
Esophageal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body can cause symptoms such as bone pain, nerve problems, or trouble breathing. If a tumor has spread to your liver, it can cause swelling in the abdomen. Cancer that has spread to the lungs can cause shortness of breath and chest pain. You might have a general feeling of being unwell, and your skin may look pale. You might have more severe symptoms if the esophageal cancer has also spread to your bones or your brain. If this is the case, your care team might recommend chemotherapy or chemoradiation to reduce the size of these tumors and relieve symptoms. It might also suggest palliative therapy, which can help ease your symptoms but won’t cure the cancer. You might also want to consider joining a clinical trial of a new treatment. A clinical trial is a study that compares standard treatments to experimental treatments.
