Esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer

    * Introduction
    * Causes
    * Signs and symptoms
    * Diagnosis
    * Treatment
Esophageal cancer develops when abnormal cells grow in esophageal tissue. They form a mass called a tumor. There are two major cell types of esophageal cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma starts in the squamous epithelial cells lining the esophageal mucosa inside the body lumen. Usually affects the upper and middle esophagus. Adenocarcinoma develops from the glandular tissue that produces mucus necessary swallowing. It usually occurs in the lower esophagus.
Esophageal cancer can be asymptomatic in its early stages. This symptom is observed most frequently by patients is dysphagia, difficulty in swallowing. As the tumor grows in size, blocking the lumen of the esophagus, making swallowing difficult or painful. Other symptoms may include: vomiting or coughing up blood, epigastric burning senzati8e, chronic cough, significant weight loss.
The exact cause of esophageal cancer development is still unknown. Risk factors include: male gender, age over 50 years, smoking, alcoholism, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett's esophagus.
Positive diagnosis is on this dysphagia associated with changes found in esophagoscopy and suggestive radiological barytic. Essential problem for the evolution of esophageal cancer is early diagnosis.
Treatment is divided into curative and palliative, depending on staging, histological type, location and condition. Early detection of cancer prognosis is favorable. In advanced cancer, the prognosis is severe.
Pathogenesis
Squamous cell carcinoma develops from the epithelial cells of esophageal epithelium pluristratificat. It is more common in men in black after 50 years, aviind more prevalent in some regions of China, Iran and Europe.
Macroscopic squamous cell esophageal cancer presents in the following forms: Polypoid forma vegetal -Ulcerative form -Infiltrative form Mixed-form, ulcerative plant. The microscope is a malpighian epithelioma-cell carcinoma. Adenocarcinoma commonly occurs as a complication of Barrett's esophagus, is more common in men, after 40 years, requiring a systematic endoscopic surveillance to detect early-stage. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the main triggering factor. Repeated damage to esophageal epithelium by gastric juices regurgitated converted the cylindrical epithelium squamous epithelium of the intestine. Genetic alterations that will result in different degrees of dysplasia installation. Primitive or secondary esophageal melanoma is an aggressive tumor with metastases rapidly installed. Macroscopic tumor presents as a single, pigmented, and ulcerated pedicled.
Small cell carcinoma is rare, extremely malignant, with marked dysphagia and severe prgnostic. These malignant tumors and lymphoma, esophageal carcinosarcoma adds.