What are the symptoms of esophageal cancer recurrence?

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on September 11, 2024
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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.

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Is esophageal cancer prone to bone metastasis?

Modes of spread and metastasis of esophageal cancer. In the early to mid-stages, the spread is mainly intramural, as the esophagus lacks a serosal layer, making it easy to directly invade adjacent organs. Lymphatic metastasis is also a major route of spread for esophageal cancer. In advanced stages, the cancer metastasizes through the bloodstream to the liver, lungs, kidneys, and even bones. In cases of bone metastasis, treatment options such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and anti-bone metastasis treatment can be chosen based on the patient's general condition. If the patient experiences significant pain, pain relief medication can be chosen according to the three-step ladder for cancer pain treatment to alleviate symptoms.

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How can esophageal cancer be diagnosed?

The diagnosis of esophageal cancer is primarily based on symptoms. In the early stages, symptoms are generally nonspecific or only mild and typically do not attract the patient's attention. In the mid to late stages, the most common symptom is progressive difficulty swallowing. Additional diagnostic methods include esophageal radiography, MRI, and CT scans. Moreover, cytological diagnosis, endoscopic ultrasound of the esophagus, direct endoscopic examination and pathological sampling under endoscopy are utilized. The gold standard for confirmation still requires pathological or cytological diagnosis.

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Esophageal cancer symptoms

In fact, the early symptoms of esophageal cancer are not very obvious. Some people only experience a slight discomfort when swallowing, and others might feel mild pain behind the sternum. However, in the advanced stages, the symptoms become more noticeable, such as progressive difficulty swallowing. Additionally, if the tumor compresses the laryngeal nerve, it can cause hoarseness. If it compresses the trachea, symptoms like shortness of breath and dry cough can occur. If the tumor erodes into the aorta, it can lead to severe bleeding.

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Typical symptoms of esophageal cancer

The most typical symptom of esophageal cancer is progressive difficulty swallowing, and a progressive sensation of swallowing obstruction is the most typical symptom. It's actually quite simple; the esophagus is akin to a water pipe or a tubular cavity. Esophageal cancer is like having a tumor grow inside this cavity, similar to something blocking the pipe, which causes the flow of water to be impeded. However, not only water passes through this esophagus, but also food. Therefore, if there's something inside the cavity, both water and food cannot pass through, leading to this difficulty swallowing and discomfort while swallowing.

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Early symptoms of esophageal cancer

The early symptoms of esophageal cancer are not very typical. In the early stages, there may be discomfort, a sensation of blockage, or burning and pinching feelings during swallowing. There might also be pain behind the breastbone. Other atypical gastrointestinal symptoms can include acid reflux, heartburn, belching, hiccups, and vomiting. However, as esophageal cancer progresses, the most typical symptom becomes difficulty swallowing, obstruction, and the sensation that swallowed items cannot pass down, including severe cases where even drinking water feels obstructed and leads to vomiting.