If a tumor occurs in the esophagus, the early symptoms are not obvious, and can often be characterized by weight loss, anemia, and physical weakness, and as the disease progresses, progressive dysphagia can occur, and the symptoms gradually worsen as time goes on, suggesting an esophageal tumor, which requires timely medical examination.
Esophagoscopy can clearly see the mucosa of the esophagus and the shape of the tumor, making it the most important tool to detect esophageal cancer. If you have doubts about the esophagus, you can take local tissue for pathological biopsy, so that you can diagnose histomorphologically and cytologically whether you have an esophageal tumor and the degree of differentiation of tumor cells, which is an important reference value for further treatment.
Barium fluoroscopy of the esophagus can also be done, but it is not as effective as esophagoscopy. If an esophageal tumor is identified by the examination, surgery needs to be considered as early as possible as long as the patient is well enough to tolerate it. Postoperative treatment with conventional chemotherapy drugs helps to kill residual cancer cells, which can consolidate the efficacy of surgery and prolong the patient’s life.
If an esophageal tumor is found when the patient’s physical status has been investigated and does not allow surgery, placement of a trial stent can be considered. Poorer, not suitable for surgery, can be treated conservatively to relieve the patient’s pain, extend life, and improve quality of life