What is Esophageal Cancer?

Esophageal cancer develops and grows in the tissues that are lined in the hollow, esophagus canal. It is the tube through which the food and liquid travels from the mouth to the stomach. This kind of cancer originates in the inner lining of the esophagus canal and gradually grows outwardly. In due course of time with enhancement in their growth they start obstructing the food passage. Thus eating, swallowing food and liquids becomes difficult can hurting.

The food that we eat is carried via the esophagus with muscular effort that is well coordinated in the hollow tract. The muscular door also known as the sphincter lies between the esophagus and the stomach. This kind of cancer can gradually spread to the lymphatic nodes and other body parts.

The most common type of esophageal cancer is the squamous cell carcinoma. The worst thing is it gets developed at any point along the wall lining of the esophagus. Another kind of esophageal cancer is the Aden carcinoma. This kind of esophageal cancer originates in the glandular tissue as they are not present in the inner lining of the esophagus.

Before the development of this kind of cancer the cells begin to develop and replace gradually the squamous cell section. One of the main characteristic of this kind of cancer is chronic acid reflux. This in turn causes heart burn. The acids and other types of juices from the digestive tract travel backward and escape from the stomach leading to acidic chemical reaction.

Causes of esophageal cancer:-
Smoking, consuming tobacco and alcohol Consumption are the major causes of esophageal cancer. It has also been observed that frequent irritation in the esophagus lining can lead to cancer in later stages.  This kind of irritation can be due to extremely hot liquids, spicy food and getting exposed to environmental toxins. This kind of cancer is more dominant in men than in women.