Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital

Hello everybody.

I am Dr. Arun Kumar Giri, senior consultant surgical oncologist. Carcinoma oesophagus is one of the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. It is the seventh most common cancer, occurring more commonly in males and sometimes also in females. Cancer of the oesophagus usually occurs in middle-age and old age people. It is usually starts with difficulty in swallowing solid food but later on it progresses to difficulty in swallowing liquids as well. The patient also loses weight significantly because of this not eating and drinking anything. Other symptoms apart from difficulty in swallowing are change in voice, cough, vomiting, symptoms of bleeding through the mouth and pneumonia. Sometimes the patient also has bony pain if the disease has spread to the bones. Causes of cancer oesophagus is most commonly tobacco, use of tobacco and alcohol. Significant use of tobacco associated with regular use of alcohol is associated with cancer oesophagus in up to 90% of the cases.

Number of years smoked and number of packets smoked per day also contribute/decide about the incidence of the disease. Disease which is acid reflux disease which is common in most people, many obese people wherein the acid in the stomach it goes into the food pipe and damages the mucosa of the food pipe and it can lead to cancer and pre malignant state is known as Barrett's oesophagus. Barrett's oesophagus can develop into cancer in up to 40 times higher as compared to normal population. Some people with iron deficiency may also develop oesophageal webs which may lead to cancer later on in their life. Obese people can also have increased incidence of cancer, those people maintaining less healthy lifestyle, sedentary life, not eating healthy fruits and vegetables can also develop cancer of oesophagus. We diagnose this cancer by endoscopy wherein a tube, endoscope is passed through the mouth into the food pipe and the area is visualized and a biopsy is taken which confirms the diagnosis.

Apart from endoscopy, to scale the extent of the disease we perform CT scan as well as PET scan of patient and PET scan tells the status of the disease in the entire body and after these tests, we proceed for the treatment. In early stages, in middle and lower part, lower third part is usually surgery and in locally advanced cases by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Surgery is potentially curative treatment which may potentially cure the patient if the disease is in early stage. By surgery we remove the food pipe, part of the food pipe, fully either partially or completely and we replace it with the stomach and large bowel. Apart from radiation therapy, chemotherapy is given to the patients who have progressed on to the treatment or who are diagnosed with the advanced disease.

We also treat some patients with targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Certain patients who cannot be treated by these medications, these treatments, they are offered supportive care with the help of stinting and feeding tube insertions etc and other supporting measures. For prevention of this disease; vegetables and fruits which contain vitamin A, C, E, selenium, zinc and other ingredients and lot of fibres, you must maintain healthy lifestyle, quit tobacco if you are smoking tobacco, quit it, reduce the amount of alcohol intake and in case if you develop any symptom please report to your doctor who will proceed for endoscopy and if the disease is diagnosed it can be treated in time.

Thank you!

Hi,

I am Dr. Arun Giri, Oncologist and today I will talk about the common causes of cancer and its prevention. As you all know that cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells. Certain types of cells in the body which later spreads different parts of the body. There are more than 100 types of cancers. And every year more than 82 lakh people die because of cancers. Of all cancer nearly 1/3 of the cancers are preventable.

Common causes of cancers are tobacco which is responsible for 1/4 of cancers in India. Apart from tobacco, alcohol is the 2nd most common cancer in India. Obesity and overweight are also associated with different types of cancers like breast cancer, uterine cancer. Pollution of water, air, and soil are responsible for almost 4-5 of all cancers. Excessive consumption of red meat is associated with colorectal cancer. Cancer can be prevented by stopping the use of tobacco. Regular exercises, maintaining ideal healthy body weight and routine cancer screening at an appropriate time.

Thank You.