Symptoms of esophageal cancer spread

Written by Luo Peng
Thoracic Surgery
Updated on September 01, 2024
00:00
00:00

The most typical symptom of esophageal cancer, especially in its advanced stages, is difficulty swallowing. As esophageal cancer progresses, patients may further experience difficulty swallowing semi-liquid food, eventually leading to difficulty swallowing even water and saliva. Additionally, as the cancer develops, it might compress the trachea, resulting in symptoms like sticky sputum and difficulty in expectorating. Consequently, due to difficulties in eating, progressive severe weight loss and fatigue often occur. Furthermore, some patients may also experience chest or back pain, and in some cases, an esophageal-tracheal fistula might occur, leading to severe respiratory difficulties and intense choking. Moreover, after advanced esophageal cancer has spread, it may also cause jaundice, ascites, and can metastasize to other parts of the body, potentially resulting in various symptoms.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
53sec home-news-image

Will esophageal cancer recur after resection?

After the removal of esophageal cancer, there is indeed a possibility of recurrence. This is because not only are there tumors on the esophagus, but some mediastinal lymph nodes around the esophagus may also have metastasized. It must be acknowledged that thoracic surgeons will definitely remove the tumor completely during surgery, but they can only remove the tumors that are visible to the naked eye. Many tumor cells that cannot be seen by the naked eye are impossible to remove. If the cancer is at a relatively advanced stage, many of these invisible tumor cells cannot be eliminated, just like air is invisible but still exists. Therefore, invisible does not mean there are no cancer cells. Thus, if there is no follow-up auxiliary treatment to kill the cancer cells, the cancer may very likely recur.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
48sec home-news-image

The main metastatic pathways of esophageal cancer

The main metastatic pathways of esophageal cancer include firstly, hematogenous spread, which can transfer to distant organs such as bones and the lungs or liver via the bloodstream. The second pathway is via the lymphatic system, which can lead to the metastasis of regional lymph nodes and other non-regional lymph nodes. For example, cervical esophageal cancer tends to metastasize to the supraclavicular and adjacent esophageal lymph nodes; in thoracic esophageal cancer, metastases may occur in the subcarinal, upper periesophageal, and lower periesophageal lymph nodes; metastasis can also be achieved through local spread and invasion of the tumor.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
1min 4sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of esophageal cancer recurrence?

The symptoms of recurrent esophageal cancer are similar to those at its initial onset, primarily characterized by difficulties in swallowing and eating obstructions. Some may also experience nausea, vomiting, and reflux symptoms of the digestive tract. Of course, when recurrence occurs, if there are metastases to other distant organs, then clinical manifestations corresponding to those metastatic locations will appear. For example, if esophageal cancer metastasizes to the lungs, it could lead to coughing, expectoration, shortness of breath, or chest pain, and even clinical symptoms related to coughing up blood. If there is liver metastasis from esophageal cancer, symptoms might include abdominal pain, fatigue, poor appetite, and even ascites among other clinical manifestations related to liver metastasis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
44sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of esophageal cancer?

The symptoms of esophageal cancer generally include progressive difficulty in swallowing, because the esophagus itself is a tubular cavity, similar to a water pipe. Esophageal cancer typically forms a tumor within this tubular cavity, creating an obstruction. Consequently, the most common symptoms include difficulty swallowing and a sensation of blockage during eating, since food must pass through the esophagus. Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, heartburn, and pain below the breastbone. Moreover, the difficulty in swallowing generally worsens progressively, as the tumor grows from small to large, increasingly narrowing the esophagus and exacerbating the swallowing difficulties.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
58sec home-news-image

What are the early signs of esophageal cancer?

The early symptoms of esophageal cancer are often nonspecific and intermittent, thus many patients do not take them seriously and delay the condition. Clinically, common early symptoms of esophageal cancer include a choking sensation when swallowing food, which is more noticeable in patients who swallow dry food or other foods that are not well chewed in large bites. Additionally, there is discomfort or a feeling of fullness behind the sternum. Thirdly, there is a sensation of a foreign body in the esophagus, with about 20% of patients experiencing this sensation when swallowing, as well as dryness and a feeling of tightness in the throat. Furthermore, there is a slow passage and a sense of retention of food.