It’s the perfect season for warm beverages. Many people enjoy sipping hot Americanos or lattes, but caution is needed as this could increase the risk of esophageal cancer. Although the diagnosis rate of esophageal cancer is not high, it is considered a dangerous type of cancer with a poor prognosis. It also does not show early symptoms, making prevention crucial.”.
Increased Risk of Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer refers to malignant tumors that occur in the esophagus and can be divided into cervical esophageal cancer or thoracic esophageal cancer etc., depending on the tumor’s location. Most are ‘squamous cell carcinoma’ in the middle of the esophagus, and some are adenocarcinomas in the lower part of the esophagus related to reflux esophagitis. Recently, in South Korea, the diagnosis rate of squamous cell carcinoma has been decreasing as reflux esophagitis has been increasing. This results in a higher chance of adenocarcinoma occurring in the lower esophagus of those patients.
No Symptoms or Discomfort
Esophageal cancer does not cause severe discomfort even when it progresses to a certain extent. When cancer has progressed, there may be a sensation of food getting stuck while swallowing, and it can affect the laryngeal nerve, resulting in a hoarse voice. Additionally, difficulty in eating may lead to a rapid weight loss of 4-5 kg within a month.
Types of Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer can be divided into two main types. In East Asia, the upper part of the esophagus is more prone to squamous cell carcinoma. In contrast, adenocarcinoma in the lower part is more common in Western countries like the United States and Europe. The causes are different – squamous cell carcinoma is often linked to harmful substances, while adenocarcinoma is more likely to develop when the esophageal cells face ongoing damage and repair, increasing the risk of cancer
Progression Stages and Survival Rate of Esophageal Cancer
Stage 1 esophageal cancer is confined to the mucosa of the esophagus without the involvement of nearby lymph nodes or distant metastasis. Stage 2A involves invasion into the muscular layer or outer layer without metastasis. In contrast, Stage 2B includes invasion into the mucosa or muscular layer with limited metastasis to fewer than 2 nearby lymph nodes. Stage 3 extends to structures around the esophagus with metastasis to 7 or more nearby lymph nodes. Finally, Stage 4 indicates distant metastasis. Early detection results in a relatively favorable 5-year survival rate of over 80%, but as the cancer progresses to Stage 4, the survival rate drops to less than 20%.
Often Discovered During Endoscopy
The majority of esophageal cancer patients discover the diagnosis of esophageal cancer while undergoing a gastroscopy. As the endoscope goes in during gastric cancer screening, it passes through the esophagus, and if an abnormal tissue is found at this time, a tissue test is conducted. When esophageal cancer is discovered through endoscopy, further tests are conducted to determine the extent of metastasis. It is crucial to assess how much the cancer cells have invaded the esophagus
Avoid Hot Beverages
While the mechanisms of carcinogenesis in the human body have not been fully elucidated, findings from animal experiments have shed light on this matter. The critical temperature identified is 65°C. While carrying a thermometer and measuring temperatures individually may not be practical, envisioning freshly brewed hot Americano can serve as a reference point. Squamous cell carcinoma is about ten times more prevalent in China and Japan, where hotter tea is consumed more frequently compared to South Korea.
Symptoms that Appear as Esophageal Cancer Progresses
As esophageal cancer worsens, it becomes difficult to swallow not only solid foods like meat or radish but also porridge and even water. If the esophageal lumen is almost blocked and the food does not go down, the food you ate after a meal may come back up into your mouth, and if you’re not careful, the food in your mouth may go down through your airway, causing symptoms such as coughing and aspiration pneumonia.
Esophageal Cancer Surgery is Riskier Than Other Cancer Surgeries
Esophageal cancer surgery, known to be risky, has the highest mortality and complication rates among all cancer surgeries. Looking at the statistics in South Korea, the mortality rate of esophageal cancer surgery exceeds 4%, which means that at least one in 25 people will not make it through the surgery. The esophagus is in the middle of our body’s important organs and is connected to the bronchi and aorta. The complication rate is high because the esophagus must be completely resected between these organs.
Reducing Risk Factors
To prevent esophageal cancer, you need to reduce the risk factors for esophageal cancer. You should avoid alcohol and cigarettes, maintain a balanced diet, and avoid eating burnt food or processed foods like ham and sausage that contain a lot of nitrite. In particular, alcohol and cigarettes have been reported to increase the incidence of esophageal cancer by about three times each.
People Who Need to Be Particularly Careful
Who should be particularly careful about esophageal cancer? If your face turns red after drinking alcohol, you should be particularly careful. The alcohol that enters the body exists as a substance called aldehyde and is broken down and excreted after a while, but the longer it stays in the body, the more likely it is to cause cancer. The ability to break down aldehyde varies from person to person, but if your face easily turns red, it means that your breakdown ability is low. Not only esophageal cancer, but people who are weak to alcohol are vulnerable to the carcinogenesis mechanism itself, so it’s better to stay away from alcohol.
By. Jeon Shin Young
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