The incidence of esophageal cancer has risen dramatically in recent years. According to World Health Organization cancer data, esophageal cancer accounted for more than half a million deaths worldwide in 2018. It represented 5.3 percent of all cancer deaths.

Adenocarcinoma is the main cancer type seen in Western countries and the biggest risk factors are being overweight or obese. Esophageal adenocarcinoma most commonly involves the lower third of the esophagus. The traditional treatment for locally advanced cancer is transthoracic Ivor–Lewis esophagectomy. This is where part of the esophagus is removed and you can read about it here.

After surgery alone, the prognosis for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer is poor, with a five-year survival rate of  only 25 percent.

The esophagus is the tube that runs from your mouth to your stomach.  Esophageal cancer starts in the cells that line the esophagus.  Because the lining is quite thin, cancer cells usually quickly spread to surrounding tissues and can then move to other parts of the body (metastasize).

Esophageal cancer can be difficult to pick up in the early stages because the symptoms can be mild and are often ignored.

Common symptoms of esophageal cancer include:

  • Hoarse voice
  • Coughing
  • Indigestion and reflux
  • Difficulty swallowing and/or pain while swallowing

The biggest factors that cause esophageal cancer are obesity, smoking, high alcohol intake and chronic heartburn and indigestion.  Alcohol and cigarettes have an irritating effect on the lining of the esophagus and they promote damage to DNA (thereby increasing the risk of cancer).

Overweight people are more likely to suffer with reflux and heartburn because extra fat in the abdominal area places greater pressure on the abdominal organs and increases the risk of a hiatus hernia.  However, anyone can experience heartburn and reflux regardless of their weight.  Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and an overgrowth of bad gut bugs can also cause reflux. Long term reflux can lead to what is known as Barrett’s esophagus.  This occurs when acid from the stomach comes up into the esophagus and burns and irritates the delicate esophageal lining.  If this is allowed to continue for years, the cells lining the esophagus undergo changes that make them very prone to becoming cancerous.  Barrett’s esophagus is usually diagnosed with an endoscopy, where a doctor places a tube down your throat in order to view your esophagus.  Anyone with chronic reflux or heartburn should have this test.  If you have a chronic cough you may have reflux but not be aware of it.  Sometimes a cough is the only symptom of a digestive problem.

Luckily esophageal cancer can be easy to prevent in most cases, by following a healthy diet and lifestyle.  The tips below will help to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer:

  • Don’t smoke, and keep your alcohol consumption low.
  • Avoid being overweight.  Excess weight held in the abdominal area is the most dangerous.  The easiest way to lose weight is by avoiding sugar and high carbohydrate foods like pasta, bread, breakfast cereals, sweet drinks and all foods made of flour.  The Dr Cabot 15 Day Cleanse is a program designed to make you healthier, less bloated and more energetic. That way weight loss becomes easier.
  • Make sure your digestion is good.  Bloating, indigestion, heartburn, reflux, burping and flatulence are all signs that something is wrong.  The first step is to eliminate junk food and soda.  If the problem persists you may have a food intolerance.  Most commonly this is to dairy products, wheat, gluten, soy, corn or citrus fruits.  You can try eliminating these foods from your diet as a test, or see a naturopath or nutritionist for guidance.
  • Research has shown that selenium deficiency increases the risk of esophageal and stomach cancer.  The Netherlands Cohort Study followed 120, 852 men and women aged between 55 and 69 years.  The participants were followed for 16.3 years.  The people with the highest selenium intake were significantly less likely to develop esophageal carcinoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma.   It is very difficult to get enough selenium from your diet in most parts of the world.  Brazil nuts are an unreliable source of this mineral, and few foods contain significant quantities.  We strongly recommend you take a selenium supplement each day as it is a powerful antioxidant and helps to protect you against several types of cancer.
  • Glutamine, slippery elm and pectin in Ultimate Gut Health powder are all soothing to the lining of the esophagus, helping to protect it from the harsh acid in the stomach.

References:
https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/6-Oesophagus-fact-sheet.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22003242/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20006613/

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

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