Ankara Etlik City Hospital Chest, Cardiovascular Diseases Hospital
Esophageal Diseases
(Esophagus)
The esophagus, popularly known as the esophagus, is a muscular tube that connects the oral cavity to the stomach. The inner surface of the esophagus in contact with food is covered with squamous epithelial cells; The uncontrolled proliferation of these cells by becoming cancerous is called squamous cell carcinoma (squamous cell cancer).
What are Esophageal Diseases?
What is Achalasia?
It is the difficulty in swallowing due to the inability of the wall muscles to relax enough in the area where the esophagus enters the stomach. Here, difficulty in swallowing is more evident, especially against watery foods. Patients state that solid foods pass more easily. This helps us in diagnosis. In other diseases of the esophagus, this situation is reversed. The treatment of achalasia is surgery.
What is a diverticulum?
It is the outward enlargement of the esophagus in the form of a pouch. The wall of this sac is either the mucous membrane in the esophagus, or the entire layer can form a sac. This disease, which can be seen frequently in the society, should be treated when it turns into a complaint. It can cause bad breath, It can cause bleeding, It can cause difficulty in swallowing. The treatment is surgical removal of the sac.
What is Esophagitis?
It is the irritation of the innermost mucosa of the esophagus by infection or chemicals. They cause severe chest pain and swallowing difficulties. Here, the cause is investigated and treated according to the cause. Treatment can be mostly with medical methods (medicine).
What is Esophageal Cancer?
Although it is less common among cancers, it can be seen more in some regions depending on the eating and drinking habits. In our country, it is frequently observed in the eastern and southeastern regions compared to other regions. It is a vicious and invasive type of cancer. When the patient complains, they are mostly detected as spread to many parts of the body.
The best treatment method is still surgical treatment. Chemotherapy and or radiotherapy are used as support.
Esophageal Cancer Short Facts
Esophageal Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
The main diagnostic methods used in esophageal cancer are as follows;
Taking a medicated film of the esophagus (barium esophageal radiography)
The esophagus is examined with optical light cameras called endoscopy and a piece (biopsy) is taken for pathological diagnosis.
also It may be necessary to perform different triggers (such as Ultrasound, Computed Tomography or MR) .
What are the Causes of Esophageal Cancer?
We believe that certain risk factors, such as tobacco or alcohol use, can cause esophageal cancer by damaging the DNA in the cells lining the esophagus.
Esophageal Cancer Treatment Recommendations
Local Treatments
Local treatments treat the tumor in a specific location without having a significant effect on the rest of the body. These treatments are more likely to be helpful for earlier-stage (less advanced) cancers, but they can be used in other situations as well.
Systemic Treatments
Systemic treatments are drugs that can be administered orally or directly into the blood. These are called systemic therapies, because they circulate throughout your entire system, allowing them to reach cancer cells almost everywhere in the body. Depending on the type of esophageal cancer, several different types of medication may be used.
Common Treatment Approaches
Stage of cancer and depending on other factors different types of treatment can be combined at the same time or used one after the other.
Some of these treatments can also be used as palliative therapy in cases where the entire cancer cannot be removed. Palliative therapy aims to relieve symptoms such as pain and difficulty swallowing, but is not expected to cure cancer.