Esophageal Cancer: Risk Factors, Diagnostics, and Treatments
Abstract
Esophageal cancer is among the most common and lethal cancers in humans. The risk factors for the disease include tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett’s esophagus, and some others. The diagnostic of esophageal cancer may include various imaging techniques, endoscopy, and biopsy tests. The treatment is highly dependent on a stage of a cancer and the overall health condition of a patient. The most effective treatment methods for esophageal cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and endoscopic treatment.
Keywords: Esophageal cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, CT, MRI, endoscopy
Outline
INTRODUCTION
RISK FACTORS
Common risk factors
Smoking tobacco
Diet low in fruit and vegetables
Chemical fumes exposure
Human papillomavirus infection
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell therapy
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma specific risk factors
Alcohol consumption
Mutations in enzymes that metabolize alcohol
Achalasia
Caustic injuries
History of other cancers
Other possible risk factors
Esophageal adenocarcinoma specific risk factors
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Barrett’s esophagus
Obesity
Sex and race
DIAGNOSTICS
Imaging tests
Barium swallow
Computer tomography
Magnetic resonance imaging
Endoscopy
Upper endoscopy
Ultrasound endoscopy
Lab testing and biopsy samples
TREATMENT
Surgery
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy
Targeted therapy
Endoscopic treatment
CONCLUSION
Esophageal Cancer: Risk Factors, Diagnostics, and Treatments
Esophageal cancer is one of the least studied and one of the most lethal type of cancers known to humankind (Arnal, Arenas, & Arbeloa, 2015). It is on the 6th place in the list of the leading causes of death from cancer and on the 8th place among the most common cancer types. The rate of a five-year survival is about 15-25% (Arnal et al., 2015). As there are two types lining the esophagus, there are two types of esophageal cancer: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) (American Cancer Society, 2016). The paper discusses the most common risk factors for esophageal cancer, its diagnostic and treatment. While these two kinds of esophageal cancer differ significantly in respect to the risk factors, the same diagnostic and treatment strategies may be applied to both of them.
Risk Factors
Common risk factors
There are several risk factors common for both esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Tobacco has been found to increase the risk of esophageal cancer development due to the effect of nitrosamine (Pennathur, Gibson, Jobe, & Luketich, 2013). Upon tobacco smoke inhalation, nitrosamine, which is a known cancerogene of a tobacco smoke, contacts esophageal mucosa (Zang, 2013). The number of cigarettes smoked per day and the period of time a smoker has been exposed to the tobacco smoke influence correlates directly with the increased risk of acquiring esophageal cancer. Moreover, smokers have 5-fold more chances of developing the disease comparing to non-smokers (Arnal et al., 2015). According to American Cancer Society, a diet low in fruits and vegetables has also been linked to the increased risks of acquiring esophageal cancer (2016). The reasons for this phenomenon are still unclear, but there is a hypothesis that certain vitamins and minerals contained in fruits and vegetables are able to prevent the or at least lower the risk of ESCC or EAC development. Chemical fumes constantly present in such workplaces as dry cleaning facilities may also increase the risk of …
