The culprits that cause esophageal cancer you didn't expect

Cancer screening is an important factor for the prevention and early detection of this disease, especially for people with a history of prolonged esophagitis, advanced age, obesity, smoking.

Possible risk factors for esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer is quite common in both sexes, often developing silently, without many obvious signs, easily confused with other common diseases.

Esophageal cancer is completely curable if detected early and treated promptly. However, the disease is rarely cured because people often come to the doctor at a late stage.

People should screen early to detect cancer, which can be completely cured, helping you live a longer and healthier life.

Age

The risk of esophageal cancer is directly influenced by age and tends to increase with age. Older people are more likely to get esophageal cancer than younger people. According to many survey data, about 85% of esophageal cancer cases occur in people over 55 years old, especially 55-85 years old.

Sex

Many medical studies have shown that men have a higher risk of esophageal cancer than women. This often comes from bad habits such as using stimulants, especially alcohol, tobacco.

Tobacco and alcohol

The use of tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco) is a major risk factor for esophageal cancer. The longer and more tobacco a person uses, the higher the risk of cancer. People who smoke one pack of cigarettes a day or more are twice as likely to develop esophageal cancer compared with non-smokers. This risk will not go away or decrease as the person does not stop smoking.

Drinking alcohol also increases the risk of esophageal cancer. The more alcohol you drink, the higher your chances of getting esophageal cancer. Alcohol increases the risk of squamous cell cancer.

Smoking combined with alcohol consumption increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma more than the use of either tobacco or alcohol alone. These are also two major risk factors for this malignancy.

The use of tobacco products is a major risk factor for esophageal cancer. (Photo: Medscape).

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

The stomach normally produces acids and enzymes to help digest food. In some people, acid can back up from the stomach up to the lower part of the esophagus. In many people, reflux causes symptoms such as heartburn or pain in the center of the chest.

However, in some cases, reflux does not cause any symptoms. People with this disease have a higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma than the general population. This risk is higher in people who have symptoms more often. GERD can also cause Barrett's esophagus (a digestive tract disease), which is associated with a higher risk of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

Barrett's esophagus

If reflux of stomach acid into the lower esophagus goes on for a long time, it can damage the lining of this organ. This causes the esophageal squamous cells to be replaced by glandular epithelial cells. These glandular cells often look like gastric and small intestinal epithelial cells. This condition is called Barrett's esophagus.

The longer a person has reflux, the more likely they are to develop Barrett's esophagus. Most people with Barrett's esophagus have symptoms of heartburn. But many cases have no symptoms at all. People with Barrett's esophagus have an increased risk of developing adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

The glandular cells in Barrett's esophagus can become more abnormal over time. This leads to dysplasia, which is a precancerous condition. The dysplasia was identified under the microscope. Low-grade dysplasia looks like normal cells. Meanwhile, more abnormal high-grade dysplasia was associated with the highest cancer risk.

Fat

People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. This is partly explained by the fact that people with obesity are more likely to have GERD.

Diet

Certain substances in the diet may increase the risk of esophageal cancer (diet high in processed meat). This may help explain the high rates of this cancer in some parts of the world.

Certain substances in the diet may increase the risk of esophageal cancer. (Photo: Freepik).

On the other hand, a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of cancer. The exact reason for this is still unclear, but fruits and vegetables contain several vitamins and minerals that help prevent cancer.

Regularly drinking very hot liquids (149 degrees Fahrenheit or 65 degrees Celsius) can increase your risk of squamous cell esophageal cancer. The cause of esophageal cancer in this case may be the result of the hot liquid damaging the esophageal epithelial cells for a long time.

Physical activity

People who engage in regular physical activity have a lower risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. The more active a person is, the lower their risk.

Achalasia (Achalasia)

In this condition, the esophageal sphincter relaxes improperly, making it difficult for food and liquid to enter the stomach. They tend to build up in the lower esophagus, causing the esophagus to dilate over time. The cells lining the esophagus in that area can become irritated from being exposed to food for longer than usual.

People with achalasia are several times more likely to develop esophageal cancer than those without this condition. On average, cancers are discovered about 15 to 20 years after a person has achalasia.

Tylosis

This is a rare and inherited disease that causes extra growths of the top layer of skin on the palms and soles of the feet. People with this condition also develop small tumors (papillomas) in the esophagus and have a very high risk of squamous cell cancer of the esophagus.

People with tylosis need to be closely monitored for early esophageal cancer.

Plummer-Vinson syndrome

People with this rare syndrome have a network in the upper part of the esophagus. Typically anemia (low red blood cell count) due to low iron levels, glossitis, brittle nails, and sometimes an enlarged spleen.

Most esophageal webs do not cause any problems. However, larger webs can cause food to get stuck in the esophagus, leading to swallowing problems and chronic irritation in that area from trapped food. About one in 10 people with this syndrome will develop squamous cell cancer of the esophagus or cancer of the lower throat (hypopharynx cancer).

Esophageal injury

Lye is a chemical found in strong industrial and household cleaners such as drain cleaners. Lye is a corrosive agent that can burn and destroy cells. Ingesting cleaners containing this substance can cause serious chemical burns to the esophagus. As the wound heals, scar tissue can cause an area of ​​the esophagus to become very narrow. People with these conditions have an increased risk of squamous cell esophageal cancer, which often occurs many years later.

History of certain other cancers

People who already have certain other cancers such as lung, mouth, and oropharynx have an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (about 15%). This may be because these cancers also share the same risk factors as smoking and drinking.

Human papilloma virus

HPV is a group of more than 100 viruses. They are called papilloma viruses because some of them cause this type of papilloma (or wart) growth. People with infection with certain types of HPV have been linked with cancer, including the oropharynx, anus, and cervix.

Signs of HPV infection were found in one-third of esophageal cancers from Asian and South African patients. But markers of HPV infection have not been found in esophageal cancers in other regions, including the United States. HPV is a rare cause of esophageal cancer.