February is Oesophageal Cancer Awareness Month.
The oesophagus (sometimes known as the food pipe or gullet) is the organ in the digestive system that connects your mouth to your stomach.
It is a hollow tube of muscle that is about 25cms long in adults. The inside of the oesophagus is normally lined by flat “paving slab” like cells (called a stratified squamous epithelium). These cells sit on a membrane that separates the lining from the layers of muscle.
Cancer can develop at any point along its length. And because the oesophagus doesn’t have an outer layer like many other organs, sometimes cancer cells can get into it or through it to other nearby organs.
Oesophageal cancer is usually one of two types:
- Adenocarcinoma is the most common type in the UK and usually occurs in the lower part of the oesophagus at the point where it meets the stomach and can be linked to Barrett’s oesophagus. Adenocarcinoma develops in the lining of cells that have changed shape and size due to long-term exposure to stomach and bile acids through gastro-oesophageal reflux. They then go from looking like “paving slabs” under the microscope, to looking more like piled up columns
- The second, and the most common type worldwide, is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) which tends to affect the upper part of the oesophagus and is more strongly linked to smoking and drinking alcohol
The most common symptoms of cancer of the oesophagus include but are not limited to:
- Worsening or persistent indigestion or heartburn
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or food sticking
- Weight loss without trying
- Chest pain, pressure or burning
- Feeling or being sick
- Coughing or hoarse voice
Other reported symptoms include:
- Regurgitation (food coming back into your mouth)
- Acid taste in mouth
- Hiccups
If you experience any of the above symptoms for three weeks or more, you should make an appointment to see your doctor.
Having these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have cancer of the oesophagus. There are many, much less serious, conditions that could be the cause but if you have persistent symptoms, it’s better to get checked. If the GP feels further investigations are needed, you will be referred to a specialist.
For more information please visit the Heartburn Cancer UK Website.