bubble_chart Overview

Esophageal cancer and cardia cancer are among the most common malignant tumors in China. The incidence varies by region, ranking first among all malignant tumors in high-incidence areas. It is slightly more prevalent in men than in women, with a ratio of approximately 1.6:1. The incidence is higher in rural areas than in urban areas, with a ratio of 3:1. The disease predominantly affects individuals aged 50–69, with those under 40 accounting for 10% of cases, so young patients should not be overlooked. The main treatments for esophageal cancer are surgery and radiotherapy. The five-year survival rate for surgery is around 20–40%, while for radiotherapy, it is about 10%. Traditional Chinese and Western medicines can only play a supportive role, with very few cases achieving a complete cure. Therefore, surgical treatment should be the first choice. Notably, the five-year survival rate for early-stage cases treated with surgery can exceed 90%, showing a significant difference. Thus, early diagnosis and early surgical treatment are crucial for improving therapeutic outcomes.

bubble_chart Clinical Manifestations

1. Pain or discomfort behind the sternum when swallowing food, or a foreign body sensation or friction sensation in the throat;
2. Progressive dysphagia;
3. Patients in the advanced stage may experience dehydration, weight loss, and those with cardiac cancer may show signs of anemia.

bubble_chart Diagnosis

1. Pain, a sense of oppression, or a feeling of food friction in the pharynx, behind the sternum, or in the upper abdomen during swallowing.
2. Barium contrast X-ray imaging reveals tortuous, thickened, disordered, or interrupted esophageal mucosal folds, rigid esophageal walls with slow or obstructed barium passage, niches of varying depths, filling defects, and soft tissue mass shadows.
3. Esophagoscopy allows visualization of the lesion.

bubble_chart Treatment Measures

1. Both esophageal cancer and cardia cancer should undergo surgical treatment as early as possible.
2. For patients with contraindications to surgery or those who refuse surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy with anticancer drugs, or a combination of these methods can be chosen.
3. For advanced-stage cases, surgical treatment may also be considered to relieve difficulty in eating or alleviate symptoms.
4. Preoperative radiotherapy and esophageal stirred pulse drug infusion therapy for esophageal cancer and cardia cancer can improve the surgical resection rate, while postoperative combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy can enhance the survival rate.
5. Other Chinese and Western medicines can play an auxiliary therapeutic role.

The early symptoms of esophageal cancer and cardia cancer are not obvious and are easily overlooked by both patients and doctors. Therefore, if there is a sensation of a foreign body in the throat or behind the sternum or difficulty swallowing when eating, seek medical examination promptly. Surgical treatment yields the best results for esophageal cancer and cardia cancer. The 5-year survival rate after surgical resection in early-stage cases can exceed 90%, making early diagnosis and early surgical treatment of great significance in improving therapeutic outcomes.

bubble_chart Cure Criteria

1. Cure: Lesion excised, esophageal reconstruction performed, recovery is good;
2. Improvement: Lesion excised, but residual metastatic lymph nodes remain, postoperative condition is fair. Or lesion reduced after radiotherapy, symptoms improved.
3. No cure: Symptoms not improved.