The Effects of Esophageal Cancer on the Esophagus Essay

This report will discuss how esophageal cancer affects the esophagus. I will discuss how the cancer affects the normal operation of the esophagus, what causes esophageal cancer, how the cancer can be detected and how this cancer can be treated, I will conclude with a discussion of how common esophageal cancer is. Firstly, in hopes of understanding what esophageal cancer is, one must first understand what the esophagus is. The esophagus is a muscular tube connecting your throat to your stomach. It’s primary purpose it to transport food to the stomach and is usually between 10 – 13 inches long. Furthermore, the esophagus is lined with smooth muscle tissue, which causes contracts without conscious thought, moving the food along to the†¦show more content†¦First, having gastro-esophageal reflux disease, this involves the stomach acids traveling back into the lower part of the esophagus and slowly deteriorating the muscle lining of the lower third of the esophagus. Therefore, gastro-esophageal reflux disease mostly causes the adenocarcinoma. Other causes may be smoking tobacco, drinking excessive alcohol, obesity, lack of fruit and vegetables in your diet. In order to lower your chances of getting esophageal cancer, you can eat more green and yellow vegetables, and perhaps a little coffee. The main thing is to live a healthy lifestyle. However, in the unfortunate case that you might think you have cancer. It is important to get tested. There are essentially three main ways to test for esophageal cancer: endoscopy, x-ray and a biopsy. An endoscopy refers to a hollow tube equipped with a lens that is lowered down into your esophagus, from which the doctor sees if there are any problem areas in your esophagus. X-rays of the esophagus also known as an esophagram, are also used to determine cancer. In the process you must drink a liquid called barium which temporarily coats the inside of your esophagus so it is easily visible from an x-ray machine. For a biopsy, like an endoscopy a tube descends down your throat and is used to collect a sample of the tissue in the problematic area. ThisShow MoreRelatedCommon Treatment Options For Esophageal Cancer1524 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the most common type of cancers around the world is esophageal cancer. The common risk factors that increase esophageal cancer are the use of tobacco and alcohol, and gastric reflux. More men than women are affected by esophageal cancer [7]. The risk of cancer can be reduced by quitting smoking and quitting drinking alcohol, eating nutritious food, and doing exercise [6,7]. 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