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MAY 19, 2023
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ESOPHAGUS 101 SPECIFICALLY, ESOPHAGEAL CANCER
Trouble swallowing, chest pain, weight loss, hoarseness, chronic cough, and vomiting are the more common symptoms of esophageal cancer.1 Additional symptoms such as bone pain (if the cancer has spread to the bone) or dark stools due to blood passing from the esophagus through the digestive tract can also occur. According to the American Cancer Society, esophageal cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. The chance of getting esophageal cancer is 1-in-125 for men and 1-in-417 in women. In 2023, in the U.S. an estimated 21,560 new cases of esophageal cancer will be diagnosed, and 16,120 deaths may occur.2
Esophagus Esophageaal tumor
Stomach
Tumor in lower esophagus
Esophageal Cancer The esophagus is a hollow 10 to 13-inch-long muscular tube connecting the throat to the stomach through which food and liquids pass. The two main types of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Esophageal cancer often begins in the inner layer of the esophagus wall, which is lined with squamous cells and spreads through the outer layers. Adenocarcinomas consist of mucous producing cells.3
Risk Factors4 Age and gender are esophageal Image: Mayo Clinic cancer risk factors in that older people and men get the disease more often. Obesity and being overweight also increases the risk. Using tobacco and drinking alcohol are known modifiable risk factors. The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for squamous cell esophageal cancer as is drinking very hot liquids on a regular basis. Prolonged gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or reflux irritates the lining of the lower part of the esophagus and can led to adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Eliminating tobacco, not drinking alcoholic beverages, eating a diet high in vegetables and fruits, regularly engaging in physical activity, and keeping a healthy weight helps reduce the risk of esophageal cancer. Detecting Esophageal Cancer There is no standard or routine screening test for esophageal cancer. Several tests are used Please see ESOPHAGUS 101 page 4 to assess the condition of the esophagus including
FEELING VERSUS BEING When it comes to depression, there is a difference. A huge difference. Someone can feel depressed without being depressed. Consider a scenario or two. The first person is depressed. His wife announced that she wants a divorce. He was passed over for an expected promotion at work and then fired. The water heater flooded the house. The transmission went out. A close friend stabbed him in the back (figuratively). His dog died. No wonder he’s depressed. The second person, by contrast, just got engaged to her childhood sweetheart. The day before that she won $250,000 on a scratch-off ticket. This week she paid off her car two years early — and that was before the scratch-off. But for some reason that even she does not understand she’s not enjoying any of it. She can’t shake the feeling that she doesn’t deserve any of it. She’s depressed too. Can you see the difference between feeling depressed and being depressed? Feeling depressed, as the first person is, usually has a reason. The feelings are logical and natural. Being depressed, as is the second person, is not only without reason, it persists despite big reasons for not being depressed. The difference: depression is not a feeling; it’s an illness. Most people who deal with depression have been told more than once, “You have a great life. What do you have to be depressed about?” Or maybe, “I know exactly what you’re going through. I’ve had bad days myself.” Those are no doubt well-intentioned comments, but they belie a complete lack of understanding about depression. When everyone grasps the all-important distinction between feeling depressed and being depressed, we’ll all be better off. +
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