Then again and again: often drink 2 kinds of "water", esophageal cancer will focus on you!

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Mr. Dong is an old smoker, 45 years old, who has been smoking for more than 20 years. The company has been in the business for more than 20 years, and it has been a great success in the past three months.

But he didn't take it too seriously, thinking it was pharyngitis caused by years of smoking, and bought some tablets to take on his own. The company's main goal is to provide the best possible service to its customers. This is what made him pay attention and went to the hospital for a checkup.

After examination, Mr. Dong's esophagus was found to be much rougher than normal, and there were irregular lesions above it, and the subsequent pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of early stage esophageal cancer.

According to data released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, 604,000 new cases of esophageal cancer and 544,000 deaths will occur worldwide in 2020, making it the 6th leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Among them, China accounts for 53.7% of new esophageal cancer cases worldwide. This means that more than half of the new esophageal cancer cases worldwide are concentrated in China, which seriously threatens the life and health of our residents.

So how to prevent esophageal cancer? What is the difference between esophageal cancer and pharyngitis?

I. What is the difference between esophageal cancer and chronic pharyngitis?

Clinically, many people would mistake esophageal cancer for pharyngitis, just like Mr. Dong in the story, thus delaying the best time for treatment. So how to distinguish esophageal cancer from chronic pharyngitis? There are 3 main points:

One is the difference in age of onset. The first is the age of onset. Pharyngitis can occur at any age, while esophageal cancer is more prevalent in middle-aged and older people aged 45-65.

Second, there is a difference in the sensation of foreign body swallowing. The swallowing difficulty caused by pharyngitis is not related to the nature of the food, and the symptoms are reduced when swallowing food, and there is usually no obstruction, whereas the swallowing abnormality caused by esophageal cancer is more pronounced when eating solids, and there is a significant stagnation in the affected area when eating, and in later stages it can be difficult to swallow even liquids.

Third, the accompanying symptoms are different. The symptoms of pharyngitis include dryness, itching, burning sensation, and coughing during acute attacks, while the discomfort in the throat caused by esophageal cancer is accompanied by sternal/esophageal pain, which manifests as abnormal pulling, rubbing, and pins and needles sensations.

4 kinds of throat discomfort or signals of esophageal cancer, don't ignore

When these abnormal symptoms appear in the throat, it is likely to be a signal from esophageal cancer, don't think it is pharyngitis.

1. Difficulty in swallowing

The presence of abnormal lesions in the esophagus will cause difficulty in swallowing. The first of these is the first time that the patient has been able to swallow solid food.

2. Dryness and constriction of the throat

Esophageal cancer can lead to a decrease in the function of the esophagus to secrete mucus, which in turn can cause dryness and an abnormal constriction of the throat.

3. Foreign body sensation

The tumor exists in the esophagus, and the patient will obviously feel something in the esophagus and cannot swallow it.

4. Pain when swallowing food

Esophageal cancer patients may also experience pain when swallowing something, which is very similar to inflammation of the tonsils and can be easily confused.

3. 2 kinds of "water" are the accomplices of esophageal cancer, so try to drink less

There is a strong relationship between the occurrence of esophageal cancer and daily eating habits, and the risk of esophageal cancer increases significantly with the long-term consumption of some foods. "Water" in particular needs attention.

A study in the International Journal of Cancer noted that tea that is too hot can lead to a significantly higher risk of esophageal cancer. Subjects who drank more than 2 cups of tea a day at a temperature of >60°C had a 90% increased risk of developing esophageal cancer compared to people who hardly drank hot tea.

Not coincidentally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has also published reports that regular consumption of hot drinks above 65°C may increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

Because ingesting food that is too hot can lead to scalding of the esophageal mucosa, which without timely intervention can develop into chronic inflammation, which constantly irritates the esophagus and can easily induce cancer.

Studies in the 2018 Cancer Prevention and Survival Report indicate that an additional 10 g of alcohol intake per day is associated with a 25% increased risk of esophageal cancer. In Asian groups, those who consumed >200g of alcohol per week had a 3.87-fold increased risk of esophageal cancer compared to the general population.

In addition to the above 2 "waters," these 3 foods are also esophageal cancer accomplices

Pickled foods contain high amounts of nitrite, which enters the body to form nitrosamines with proteins, which are clear carcinogens and lead to an increased risk of cancer. It is easy to cause the body to increase the risk of cancer. Pickled foods are high in salt, and excessive salt intake can cause damage to the esophageal mucosa by stimulating it to peel off. A study in the British Medical Council Internal Medicine also clearly stated that subjects who regularly consumed pickles had a 45% increase in esophageal cancer mortality.

Excessive coarse food swallowed directly without adequate chewing can lead to damage to the esophageal mucosa, which in the long term will lead to continuous damage and repair of the esophageal mucosa, significantly increasing the chance of mutation in the process and predisposing to cancer.

Spicy foods can damage the esophageal epithelium, which in turn can easily cause epithelial cell degeneration. The epithelial cell nucleic acid metabolism will also be affected, which will easily induce mucosal inflammation and eventually increase the chance of cancer.

To prevent esophageal cancer, we need to make changes in our daily diet, and we need to minimize the above mentioned foods. Also, it is important to observe the body's performance and seek medical attention when abnormalities occur.