Some of the most important questions for esophageal cancer patients and family members 1.What are the common symptoms of esophageal cancer? The typical symptom of esophageal cancer is progressive dysphagia. At the beginning, it may be a foreign body feeling in the throat and discomfort in dry food, and further choking feeling even in semi-liquid or liquid, and finally, even no food can be eaten. Some patients may experience burning and pain behind the sternum. In advanced stage of esophageal cancer, if the lesion involves other tissues, it may also show the symptoms related to the involved tissues and organs. 2.How to diagnose esophageal cancer? Relatively non-invasive examinations are barium meal radiography, chest CT examination, and gastroscopy and ultrasound gastroscopy for biopsy to further confirm the diagnosis. Some hospitals use esophageal screening cytology or rapid diagnosis. In order to further judge the extent of the disease, bone scan, brain MRI, abdominal ultrasound, pet-ct and other examinations can also be selectively performed. 3.How to treat esophageal cancer? Surgery is currently the main treatment for esophageal cancer. For esophageal cancer with no distant metastasis and resectable lesions, surgery is preferred as long as the patient’s physical condition permits. Some patients need surgery combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy for comprehensive treatment. 4.What are the surgical methods for esophageal cancer? Generally speaking, esophageal cancer surgery can be divided into minimally invasive surgery and open surgery. There should be no difference between the two surgical methods in terms of efficacy for experienced surgeons, but minimally invasive surgery allows patients to recover faster and with less pain. The choice of surgical modality is largely based on the surgeon’s habits and the patient’s requirements. Since minimally invasive surgery is a relatively new procedure, it is not easily performed by physicians in smaller hospitals who generally have less experience. Several studies have shown that the surgical complications of esophageal cancer are closely related to the amount of surgery performed by doctors. 5.Do I need other treatment after esophageal cancer surgery? Generally, the need for post-surgical treatment is further considered based on the findings of esophageal cancer surgery and post-surgical pathology report, and radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be added if the disease is advanced. 6.How to further follow up after esophageal cancer surgery? Regular follow-up is required after esophageal cancer surgery. In the first two years after surgery, our hospital generally adopts follow-up once every 4 months. In the first two years after surgery, our hospital generally follows up once every four months, and once every six months for 3-5 years after surgery. If there is any discomfort during the period, you should consult the original surgeon as soon as possible. For regular follow-up, the doctor will selectively perform chest CT, abdominal ultrasound or CT, barium meal, gastroscopy, bone scan, brain MRI or pet-ct according to the specific situation. 7.What will be the impact on life after esophageal cancer surgery? Esophageal cancer surgery will affect patients’ life to a certain extent. First of all, patients will be restricted in eating within six months to one year after surgery, and they have to eat less and more meals. If the diet is reasonable, the patient’s nutritional status can be unaffected; if the diet is not reasonable, the patient may show wasting and malnutrition. Second, some patients may feel pain in the incision for several months after surgery, especially in open surgery patients. Minimally invasive surgery is less severe. This is mainly due to the destruction of the intercostal nerves. Some patients may experience discomfort and choking when eating. This sensation is usually normal in the short term after surgery due to the presence of a mild interface. If it persists after six months and eating is affected, the anastomosis may be narrowed and further dilatation treatment is recommended to enlarge the anastomosis. Most patients exhibit acid reflux after surgery and are generally instructed not to lie down and to sleep with the upper body slightly elevated. Rest in the prone position only after one hour of activity or upright or sitting position after eating and drinking. In addition, esophageal cancer surgery will have a great impact on patients psychologically, so doctors and family members should pay attention not to put too much pressure on patients and communicate with them more. 8.How to prevent and detect esophageal cancer at an early stage? The exact cause of esophageal cancer is not clear yet. However, it is generally believed that eating too fast, eating too hot food, high nitrite content in food (pickled items), long-term gastroesophageal reflux and genetic factors may be related to the occurrence of esophageal cancer. For those people who have the above factors, they can undergo relevant examinations to detect esophageal cancer at an early stage. For prevention, the main focus is to reduce the above factors that may cause esophageal cancer. In addition, whether chemical prevention, such as vitamin E and trace element selenium, have anti-cancer effects is still under further research.