Nowadays, oesophageal cancer has become a malignant tumour that has to be looked at.
The oesophagus is the main throat of the human body. When we are unwell and want to spit out food, we have to pass through the oesophagus; when we eat and swallow, we have to pass through the oesophagus, which is enough to see that the oesophagus is one of the most important parts of the human body.

What are the signs of oesophageal cancer?

In the early stage of esophageal cancer, there are no obvious symptoms, but some people may experience choking sensation and foreign body sensation when swallowing food, and burning, pinching or pulling pain behind the sternum.

The typical symptom of oesophageal cancer is a progressively worsening difficulty in swallowing, starting with dry food, followed by semi-liquid food, and finally water and saliva.

Causes of esophageal cancer

1. Boiling diet: Eating boiling hot meals and drinking boiling hot tea frequently are very detrimental to the health of the esophagus. According to research, eating hot food for a long time will promote the occurrence of cancer, and such a diet will give cancer cells a very good environment for development.

2. Nitrosamines: Nitrosamines are very carcinogenic compounds, with more than ten out of a hundred of them causing oesophageal cancer. This substance is not uncommon and is readily available in everyday life.

For example, hair dyes, bacon, cigarettes, unfresh fruit, overnight meals and rotten vegetables contain nitrosamines.

3. Genetic factors: A link between genetics and oesophageal cancer cannot be ruled out among the causative factors of oesophageal cancer, and there is a clear family aggregation of oesophageal cancer patients.

How to prevent oesophageal cancer

1. Adopt good eating habits and do not eat food that is too hot. Avoid eating mouldy rice, noodles, peanuts and other foods and overnight meals, and reduce the intake of stimulating food such as strong tea, coffee and strong alcohol.

2. Reduce the intake of pickled and smoked foods. 

3. Quit smoking and drinking. The content of nitrosamines in tobacco is very high and this substance is closely linked to the development of oesophageal cancer. Tobacco contains not only nicotine, a toxic substance, but also more than 50 other harmful substances, which can cause extensive damage to the human body, including the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas and heart.

4. Regular health check-ups are closely related to heredity, which requires those with a family history of cancer to maintain the habit of regular health check-ups to predict the disease earlier than cancer and to protect their health and that of their family.

As the early symptoms of oesophageal cancer are not obvious, it is often detected in the middle to late stages. Therefore, a good lifestyle and good screening are essential if you want to keep esophageal cancer at bay.