Esophageal Cancer Rates and Statistics
- About 14,400 new cases of esophageal cancer will be diagnosed in 2006.
- Esophageal cancer is much more common in men; men develop it about 4 times more often than women.
- It is 50% more common in African Americans than Caucasians.
- Over 14,000 people are estimated to die of esophageal cancer in 2006.
Esophageal Cancer Symptoms
It is rare that people with esophageal cancer experience any symptoms until the disease has progressed to advanced stages. This makes early detection difficult.Common esophageal cancer symptoms include difficulty swallowing, persistent cough, hoarseness, and weight loss. More esophageal cancer symptoms.
Esophageal Cancer Causes
Although we don't really know what exactly causes esophageal cancer, researchers have identified several risk factors for the disease. A risk factor is something that increases the chances you will develop a disease.Risk factors for esophageal cancer include smoking drinking alcohol, obesity, certain deiseases and diet.
Treating Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer is treated with chemotherapy, radiaiton therapy and surgery. Treatement plan is based on the stage of the disease.Surgical options include the removal of part of the esophagus. This intricate surgery is not simple and comes with many risks.
Chemotherapy alone will not usually cure esophageal cancer. It is often used in conjunction with radiation therapy and surgery. It is also used to releive painful symptoms and prior to surgery in hopes of reducing the size of a tumor.
