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Doctor insights on: Esophageal Cancer Spread To Liver

When: When ascites causes abdominal discomfort or pain it is generally accepted that enough fluid fluid should be removed from the abdomen for comfort. More importantly, evaluation of the abdomen to ensure that there has not been a colon or esophageal rupture is vitally important. Evaluation for infection causing the accumulation of fluid is also part of the evaluation. The sooner the patient is diagnosed with a potential infection or rupture, the sooner treatment can begin. Extreme discomfort to the point of not being able to lye down would be considered a medical emergency and urgent evaluation should occur. If you are unsure, someone should be on call for your oncologist. Calling them in these type of situations can be very helpful as they can direct you specifically where to go and coordinate your care. Read more

Undetermined.: One day at a time. Although statistics can inform you what happened to other people with similar problems, ultimately how long a you are expected to live is speculative and unpredictable. Ultimately, if you are alive today, you are alive today. Read more

Not long.: This is advanced stage because there are mets to the liver. It is therefore not resectable, so it would likely have to be treated with combination chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. At any rate, 5 year survival in resectable disease is only about 20%, so this is likely less than that, and overall 5 year survival is about <5% due to advanced state of many cases. Try to make her comfortable. Read more

It can: Barrett need to be biopsies to rule out any dysphasia and to make sure there is no pre cancer changes so if you did have Bx then it is hard to miss. Your pain most likely secondary to esophageal spasm that will cause severe chest pain and abdominal pain. Take anti reflux medicine religiously avoid the bad food and ask for surgical referral to treat reflux Read more

Local and distant: The most common spread is to local nodes around the esophagus. But the spread, or metastasis can be more distant such as to nodes around the celiac plexus, the region where the blood supply to the stomach arises below the diaphragm. But distant metastasis can be to nodes in the neck, particularly associated with the lymphatic chain that drains into the subclavian vein on left behind clavicle Read more

It depends: It depends where it has recurred. Re-operative surgery for esopahgeal cancer is very complex with a lot of risk. It is not common, so if it is to be considered, it should be at a quaternary center with experience. Read more

Sadly yes: Esophagus is a muscular tube that can stretch, so often no symptoms until it can't. Also has no outer membrane surrounding it so easier to spread outside the organ itself. Read more

Depends: If his cancer is limited to the esophagus, his cancer is potentially curable. Hopefully he is getting treatment. Read more

Always: There's always a chance. Discuss these issues with your doctor. Read more

It depends: Esophageal cancer can be cured if it is caught early. The prognosis depends largely on the stage of disease. Lower stage disease which is more localized is more easily cured. Read more

Probably: Depending on what you consider fast. Needs to be treated within very few weeks of diagnosis. Read more

Not at all, to very: Bad disease. Often no symptoms until well established. May have no heartburn. May have painful swallowing, and/or difficulty swallowing_ often progressive from solids to chopped, to liquids. Can cause pain, especially with spread. Read more

Difficulty and/or: Pain on swallowing, leading to weight loss. Commonly associated with tobacco and alcohol use, now prevalent in overweight individuals with reflux. Read more

Two types: Adenocarcinoma: caused by acid reflux squamous cell carcinoma: caused by alcohol, smoking, previous radiation, nitrosamines, achalasia, caustic ingestion, chaga's disease, previous head and neck cancer. Read more

Depends on the type: Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus for the most part is casued by smoking, consuming alcohol, nitrosamines, such as pickled foods and smoked meats. Adenocarcinoma is casued by acid reflux, which can lead to injury of the lining of the esophagus, causing barrett's metaplasia. Barrett's can lead to low grade, then high grade dysplasia, and finally esophageal adenocarcinoma. Read more

Slow or Fast: It can be slow or fast, but generally its a slow process. Esophageal cancer tends to be circumferential, like a donut. As it grows, the hole or lumen becomes smaller, and can make it diffiult for food, then liquids to pass through. The diamter of your esophagus can get as narrow as 6mm (18french) before one gets symptoms. Read more

Older individuals: Esophageal cancer is most common after the age of 50. Smoking and alcohol intake are associated with an increased risk for esophageal cancer. Read more

Possibly: There is growing data linking some esophageal cancers to mutations in her-2-neu cell receptor (protein). Mutations in this receptor may be hereditary. Read more

Esophageal cancer: Like most cancers esophageal cancer staging also depends on depth of tumor, nodal involvement and metastasis. Advance stage means deeper, larger tumor, nodal involvement and presence of distant metastasis. Read more

About 40%: Esophageal Ca survival depends on type of tumor and extent of disease when defined. Transesophageal ultra sound is helpful in defining extent of tumor invasion into the wall as well as nodes. PET/CAT looks for distant spread. Pretreatment with RT and chemo followed by surgery in Stage I disease gives about 40-50% five year survival. Read more