When esophageal cancer cannot be treated surgically, radiotherapy is the first choice

Esophageal cancer is a common digestive tract tumor in northern Jiangsu Province, with a higher incidence in rural areas. Due to the lack of medical knowledge among patients, by the time symptoms appear, it is often in the middle or late stage of esophageal cancer. Many patients no longer have the opportunity for surgery, so radiotherapy becomes the preferred treatment method. Radiotherapy is a non-invasive tumor treatment method and one of the three sharp knives that humans use to fight tumors. It inhibits or even kills tumor cells through high-energy X-rays, and can simultaneously control the primary tumor and the surrounding areas that may be affected by the tumor, that is, subclinical lesions. Esophageal cancer patients who receive radiotherapy often feel fatigue and loss of appetite. If cervical or upper thoracic esophageal cancer is treated with radiotherapy, the patient will also experience sore throat and difficulty swallowing. Skin damage will occur in the local area of ​​radiotherapy, just like sunburn. Most adverse reactions will disappear some time after the end of radiotherapy.

Mr. Wan, 67 years old, who lives in northern Jiangsu, has been feeling that eating is not smooth for some time. He feels choking when food reaches his chest, and he needs to drink some water every time to slowly swallow it. This symptom gradually worsened, until he felt that he couldn't drink porridge smoothly, his voice was not as loud as before, and his weight also dropped significantly. Recently, Mr. Wan went to Nanjing to visit relatives, and thought of taking a health check in the provincial capital Nanjing, so he went to the hospital for treatment. After the doctor asked about the medical history in detail, he recommended that the patient undergo a gastroscopy. The endoscopic examination found that the patient's middle and lower esophageal mucosa was rough, the surface was uneven, and the lumen was locally narrowed. A biopsy confirmed squamous cell carcinoma. After consultation with the general surgery, oncology, and radiotherapy departments, it was decided to use radiotherapy to radically cure the esophagus.