"Being able to eat is a blessing, and eating well is wisdom." After being diagnosed with esophageal cancer , Wang Jian (pseudonym) realized how true this sentence is.
Half a year ago, 54-year-old Wang Jian felt a slight choking sensation when eating, but he didn't pay attention at the time, thinking it was just strep throat, so he just took some anti-inflammatory medicine. Until half a month ago, his esophagus would suffer severe pain when eating or drinking normally. He went to the Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University for an examination. The doctor found a 3cm diameter mass in his esophagus 28cm from the front teeth. Further biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. For esophageal cancer .
This news was like a bolt from the blue. Wang Jian never imagined that what he thought was "pharyngitis" would actually be esophageal cancer. Subsequently, the doctor conducted a comprehensive examination on him and performed da Vinci robot mediastinal pneumatic esophageal cancer surgery to free the affected esophagus, anastomose the esophagus to the stomach, and reconstruct the digestive tract.
Esophageal cancer is not uncommon.
Esophageal cancer is not uncommon in my country. Data show that in 2020, there were 324,000 new cases of esophageal cancer in my country, and 301,000 deaths, , all of which exceeded 50% of the global total. Since esophageal cancer does not have typical symptoms and signs in its early stages, most patients are already in the mid-to-late stage when diagnosed, and the overall prognosis is poor.
In 2015, the age-standardized 5-year survival rate of esophageal cancer in my country was 30.3%, and the 5-year survival rate of early-stage esophageal cancer was 95%, but the overall 5-year survival rate is still low .
From the distribution point of view, the population affected by esophageal cancer in my country is unbalanced, with more men than women, more rural areas and fewer cities. There are also regional agglomerations, such as the Taihang Mountains where Henan, Hebei, and Shanxi meet.
Don’t mistake esophageal cancer for “pharyngitis”
Because the early symptoms of esophageal cancer are similar to those of pharyngitis, they are often ignored by patients, resulting in late detection. The early symptoms of esophageal cancer can be summarized as "three senses and one pain". Here is an explanation for you.
Even if you have not eaten, you will feel that there is a foreign body in the esophagus, like rice grains or vegetable leaves sticking to it, making it difficult to swallow, but there is no pain.
. Swallowing obstruction and choking sensation
There is discomfort or discomfort when swallowing food, and even choking in severe cases. This is related to the congestion, swelling, and erosion of small-scale esophageal mucosa caused by early lesions, and irritation occurs when food passes.
. A sense of urgency in the throat
A sense of urgency in the throat, especially when swallowing dry and rough food, the symptoms are more obvious and may be accompanied by slight pain. As the disease progresses, patients may cough or hoarse, or even cough up bloody mucus.
. Retrosternal pain
Pain occurs behind the sternal bone, manifesting as a burning stabbing pain or persistent dull pain. However, the location of the pain is difficult to determine, and the degree may be mild or severe. It usually lessens or disappears after a meal.
In fact, The biggest symptom difference between esophageal cancer and pharyngitis is the difference in "swallowing".
The foreign body sensation in swallowing caused by pharyngitis has nothing to do with the nature of the diet. The foreign body sensation will be reduced when eating. On the contrary, dysphagia caused by esophageal cancer will progressively worsen . In the end, it will be difficult to even drink water, and there will be an obvious feeling of blockage when eating. What subject did
take? What tests should be done?
If you have symptoms suspected of esophageal cancer, or you are unable to tell whether you have pharyngitis or esophageal cancer, you must seek medical examination in time.
For esophageal cancer, many hospitals now adopt "multidisciplinary consultation". You can first contact the Department of Gastroenterology to make a clear diagnosis. If confirmed, thoracic surgery, oncology and other departments will be involved.
Currently, there are three main methods for examining esophageal cancer:
- Esophagoscopy
The diagnostic rate of esophagoscopy is as high as 80%. The advantage is that it can directly see the tumor and directly take samples for biopsy.
- Endoscopic ultrasound
Endoscopic ultrasound is a two-in-one "endoscopy + ultrasound". It can directly observe the morphological changes in the esophageal cavity through the endoscope, and perform real-time ultrasound scanning at the same time, which can be used to detect earlier esophageal mucosal lesions.
- Barium meal angiography
The accuracy of barium meal angiography is only about 50%, and it can only be displayed when the morphology of the lesion changes significantly. If contrast shows that the mucosal wrinkles in the lesion area are thickened and tortuous, it indicates that it may have developed into early invasive cancer.
Prevention in life is not difficult to achieve
"China Esophageal Cancer Screening, Early Diagnosis and Early Treatment Guidelines (2022 Edition)" points out that current research has identified the main risk factors and protective factors of esophageal cancer, and in It is relatively common in life, and everyone can take active actions to prevent it in a targeted manner.
Method 1: Avoid risk factors
Risk factors for esophageal cancer include specific eating habits, family inheritance, drinking, and smoking.
There is no need to go into details about quitting smoking and drinking, but specific eating habits should also be avoided as much as possible. Research shows that eating habits such as pickled food, moldy food, irregular diet, hot food, high-salt diet, and eating too fast will increase the risk of esophageal cancer.
Method 2: Increase protective factors
Research has made it clear that the protective factors for esophageal cancer include intake of dietary fiber, dietary calcium and fruits and vegetables .
(1) Moderate intake of dietary fiber
can promote intestinal metabolism and protect the health of the digestive tract. Foods rich in dietary fiber include vegetables, beans, fruits and whole grain foods .
(2) Supplement calcium in the diet
The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that people over 50 years old should consume 1,000 mg of calcium every day. Foods with higher calcium content include green vegetables, milk and dairy products, soy products, fungi and algae foods (such as kelp, black fungus), etc.
(3) Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits
The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" recommends that residents should consume 200~350g of fresh fruits and at least 300g of fresh vegetables every day, with dark vegetables accounting for half.
There are roughly three categories of dark fruits and vegetables, which you can eat in rotation:
- Dark green fruits and vegetables : spinach, rape, water spinach, leeks, broccoli, , chrysanthemum, mustard, , watercress, kiwi fruit, , etc.;
- Orange fruits and vegetables : tomatoes, carrots , pumpkins, citrus, persimmons, mangoes, colored peppers , banana peppers, etc.;
- red, purple and black fruits and vegetables : amaranth , purple cabbage , red dates, cherries, Mulberry etc.
Therefore, it is not difficult to prevent esophageal cancer. The difficult thing is to persist, and the difficult thing is to start from the beginning.However, as long as you can stay away from cancer and protect your health, why not be a little more difficult?
#HealthZhenzhiplan# #媯 Zero Zero Plan#
References:
[1] He Jie , Chen Wanqing, Li Zhaoshen , et al. China Esophageal Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines ( 2022, Beijing) [J]. Chinese Journal of Oncology , 2022, 44(6):491-522
[2] Early signs of esophageal cancer, high-risk groups, examination and prevention, Guo Jianhua, Medical Forum Network , 2019- 10-11
[3] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022). Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House , 2022
Reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission
