Foreign body sensation in the esophagus. People always feel that there are rice grains and vegetable residues sticking in the esophagus, and those who are sensitive can even point out the specific part of the neck or chest where the sticking is located, and the pointed part often coincides with the site of esophageal cancer in the future. About 10% of patients with esophageal cancer have this manifestation in early stage. Delayed swallowing. Symptoms of delayed swallowing of food, slight obstruction and choking or food staying in the esophagus, but the sensation is extremely mild and does not prevent normal eating. This manifestation is mostly related to mood swings, sometimes appearing, sometimes disappearing, recurring and getting progressively worse. Poststernal pain or tightness. Intermittent retrosternal pain, retrosternal tightness and discomfort, or dull, burning, pins and needles and tugging pain in the subxiphoid process and epigastrium. Patients are often unable to specify the exact site of pain. The pain occurs when swallowing the first or second mouthful of food, and then gradually reduces and disappears; the pain is obvious after swallowing rough food, hot food or acidic and other irritating food, while the pain is lighter when eating warm and soft food such as fluid. This pain can become more and more severe with the development of the disease. Almost more than half of esophageal cancer patients have this manifestation in early stage. Abnormal throat sensation. Feeling of dryness in the pharynx and a sense of tightness in the neck. The above signals of onset can appear alone, or occur at the same time or successively. What tests can help to detect esophageal cancer at an early stage? Exfoliative cell pull test. This method is simple, economical and practical, in which the doctor inserts a draining device into the patient’s esophagus and takes out part of the exfoliated cells from the esophageal mucosa for observation. The accuracy rate of this method for diagnosing early esophageal cancer is about 90%. Esophageal barium contrast examination. Early esophageal cancer can be detected by doctors through barium esophagography. Esophagoscopy. 50%～60% of early esophageal cancer patients are found through esophagoscopy. Should I undergo surgery if I have esophageal cancer? Surgery is the most important treatment for esophageal cancer, and the survival rate of early stage esophageal cancer patients after surgery reaches about 90% in 5 years. As long as the diagnosis is clear and the conditions for surgery are available, surgical treatment should be considered first. Besides removing the tumor, surgery can also relieve the patient’s choking, relieve the patient’s pain and improve the patient’s quality of life. Of course, in addition to surgical treatment, patients should also receive comprehensive treatment according to the doctor’s arrangement. For example, radiotherapy is used before and after surgery to enhance the effect of surgery, or chemotherapy is chosen to eliminate the cancer cells that are difficult to be eliminated cleanly by surgery. What should esophageal cancer patients pay attention to in treatment? Once diagnosed with esophageal cancer, start regular treatment without delay. Do not force to swallow when there is a choking sensation, but eat liquid or semi-liquid food. Nausea, vomiting, pain and swelling and numbness are easy to occur when eating too cold and stimulating food, so such food should be avoided. Increase nutrition comprehensively to put yourself in a better physical condition and prepare for surgical treatment or chemotherapy or radiotherapy. How to minimize the possibility of getting esophageal cancer? There is a significant increase in the number of people getting esophageal and stomach cancer in areas where moldy food is commonly eaten. When food becomes moldy, it produces aflatoxin and nitrosamines, both of which have strong cancer-causing effects. Living in China’s Henan, Shanxi, Hebei part of the residents of esophageal cancer than other regions significantly higher than the scientific investigation shows that this is used to eating sauerkraut with the residents of these areas, and sauerkraut in the moldy contamination of serious relations. Therefore, one should change this kind of dietary habit and not eat moldy food. With esophageal cancer disease should be treated in time, because some esophageal diseases can easily develop into esophageal cancer, such as esophagitis, esophageal hiatal hernia, esophageal diverticulum, esophageal polyps and papillomas. Active treatment of these esophageal diseases can help prevent the occurrence of esophageal cancer.