Esophageal Cancer Treatment – Introduction

If you are looking for the best doctor for esophageal cancer treatment in India, you are at the right place! Because here we will tell you in detail about this disease and its various aspects. This will help you choose the right doctor at the best hospital for esophageal cancer treatment in India.

Esophagus or Oesophagus is a long and hollow tube-like organ that runs from the throat till your stomach. It helps in moving the food we eat to swallow from the back of our throat to our stomach where it gets digested.

Esophageal cancer usually originates in the cells along the lining of the inside area of the esophagus. But it can also occur anywhere inside the esophagus. It is more commonly found in men than women and is the 6th most common cancer worldwide.

Signs and Symptoms of Esophageal Cancer

Patients with esophageal cancer might experience one or more of the following signs and symptoms –

• Pain and difficulty in swallowing food, especially when eating food items like meat, raw vegetables or bread, etc. As the tumor size grows, it tends to block the pathway towards your stomach. At that stage, even having liquid may become painful in swallowing.
• Feeling of burning or some sort of pressure in the chest
• Heartburn/Indigestion
• Vomiting tendency
• Food starts getting frequently choked
• Excessive weight loss without any extra effort for the same
• Voice hoarseness and coughing
• Persistent throat and breastbone pain

You need to immediately book an appointment and see your doctor in case you are facing above symptoms that are getting worsened gradually.

Who is at risk for having Esophageal Cancer?

According to Dr. Kapil Kumar, best esophageal cancer doctor in India believes that esophageal cell irritation leads to the development of cancer. We have listed below some habits as well as conditions that can put you on risk of having irritative esophageal cells–

• Smoking and Alcohol consumption
• Having GERD (GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease) or other reflux disorder
• Damaged esophageal lining due to reflux disorders, condition called Barrett’s Esophagus
• Beinfg Obese/Overweight
• Lack of fibrous food consumption, like not eating enough vegetables and fruits
• Achalasia can also cause this cancer. It is a condition in which esophageal muscles do not relax properly.

Diagnosis of Esophageal Cancer

Once you have seen your doctor and he or she has assessed you and feels that you may have esophageal cancer, you will be advised following investigations to confirm the presence of disease –

• Blood Investigations
• Imaging Tests like ultrasound and CT/PET CT to rule out the location and size of tumor and find out if it has spread to other organs
• Other imaging tests could include – esophagoscopy, thoracoscopy and bronchoscopy. During these tests, a tube with lens is inserted in the throat
• Esophagoscopy and bronchoscopy tests use a long, tube-like tool that contains a light and lens. It is inserted into the throat to see inside the esophagus and surrounding body parts. Thoracoscopy is a little different as it requires surgery to place it inside your chest.
  
  

  

• Biopsy – In order to confirm if the tumor in your esophagus is cancerous, your doctor will also do a biopsy test. Here, he will take a sample from the tumor and then will get it studied under a microscope with the help of an expert pathologist in his or her team.

Esophageal Cancer Treatment in India

Treatment of esophageal cancer is different for each patient. You need to look for the best doctors in esophageal cancer treatment in India in order to decide the best approach for your cancer treatment.

Your doctor will discuss about the below treatment options with you before devising your entire treatment plan –

• Surgery: Surgery is done to remove as much of your esophageal cancer as possible.
• Radiation therapy: RT makes use of high energy x-rays or other similar types of radiation for killing the cancer cells.
• Chemotherapy: During chemotherapy, anti-cancer drugs will be used to kill the cancer cells inside your esophagus. This therapy is used when the cancer cells have moved to other body parts.
• Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy aims at making changes in cancer cells which help them in growing, dividing, and spreading to other areas.

Outcome of Esophageal Cancer treatment in India

• The earlier your esophageal cancer gets detected, the better will be your chances of recovery post your treatment in India.
• Unfortunately, it is usually detected in the later stages when the patient is left with no other option than to get it treated as it gets too late to be cured.
• However, your chances of survival get improved with surgery if your cancer hasn’t yet spread outside of the esophageal area.

Can Esophageal Cancer be Prevented?

Though there is no certain way for preventing Esophageal cancer, experts suggest of few steps that can be taken to lower the risk:

• Avoid smoking and chewing tobacco
• Limit the consumption of alcohol
• Follow a diet regimen that includes lots of fruits and vegetables
• Also, maintain healthy weight
• Exercise regularly and stay physically active

Follow-Up Care for Esophageal Cancer

• Care for patients diagnosed with oesophageal cancer is not limited to activeone time treatment. Your doctor will continue to keep a check and ensure that the cancer doesn’t recur and also manages side effects if any. He or she needs to monitor your overall health as well in the long run.
• Your follow-up care plan will include – periodic physical examinations and some medical tests. Your doctor would want to keep track of your recovery over the months and years ahead.

Managing long-term care and late side effects if any

• Most of the patients do expect to experience some side effects while receiving esophageal cancer treatment in India. Nevertheless, it is frequently surprising to cancer survivors that some side effects may remain beyond the treatment period. and these are termed as long-term side effects.
• Additionally, other side effects known as late effects may tend to develop months or even years later. These may include both physical as well as emotional changes.

Talk to your doctor about your risk of developing these side effects based on the type of your cancer and your individual treatment plan, plus your overall health condition. Make sure you follow all the instructions thoroughly in order to lead a better quality of life post treatment.