What are the early signs of esophageal cancer

Early signs of esophageal cancer may include choking when swallowing food, pain behind the sternum when eating, discomfort behind the sternum, foreign body sensation in the esophagus, slow passage of food, etc. If you feel any discomfort, you should seek medical attention in time for relevant examinations.

1. Choking sensation when swallowing food: When the patient eats, there seems to be gas in the esophagus blocking the food, and the food feels difficult to pass through.

2. Pain behind the sternum when eating: The patient has pain behind the sternum when swallowing food. The pain may be burning, tingling, or pulling and friction-like. The degree of pain is related to the nature of the food.

3. Discomfort and fullness behind the sternum: The patient only feels discomfort in the chest but cannot clearly point out the location, nature and degree of the discomfort.

4. Foreign body sensation in the esophagus: Patients often feel that there is a foreign body in the esophagus, like rice grains or vegetable fragments adhering to the esophageal wall and unable to swallow, but there is no pain.

5. Slow passage of food: Patients often complain that the esophageal wall seems sticky, food moves slowly and there is a feeling of stagnation, which usually occurs while eating and disappears after eating.

For patients with early esophageal cancer, comprehensive treatment may be a better choice. Comprehensive treatment includes multiple treatment methods such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy to achieve better treatment effects and prognosis.