There is no way to fully determine the exact time of formation of esophageal cancer, which may take 5 to 10 years or even longer, and generally varies from person to person. The formation of esophageal cancer usually starts from gene mutation and gradually turns into malignant tumor cells. Its early symptoms are not obvious and may appear as discomfort when swallowing food. In the middle and late stages, it will manifest as difficulty in swallowing food, difficulty in swallowing food and so on. The exact time of esophageal cancer formation cannot be fully determined at present, and it may take 5 to 10 years or even longer. If patients consume spicy and stimulating food for a long time, have irregular diet, drink too much alcohol and suffer from stomach diseases, etc., they will affect the health of esophagus and may eventually lead to esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer is a chronic process, so you need to develop good living and dietary habits in your daily life in order to prevent esophageal cancer effectively.