What are the causes of esophageal cancer?

Esophageal cancer is a malignant digestive tract tumor that occurs in the esophageal epithelial tissue, accounting for 2% of all malignant tumors. About 200,000 people die from esophageal cancer every year in the world. The incidence of esophageal cancer in my country is very high, with the age of onset mostly over 40 years old, and more men than women. What are the factors that lead to esophageal cancer?

1. Frequent smoking. The smoking rate is quite high among patients with esophageal cancer, while the risk of esophageal cancer is rare among non-smokers. This is because cigarettes contain nitrosamines, which have strong carcinogenic effects.

2. Frequent drinking. Many patients have a history of heavy drinking or are engaged in related occupations. Among American esophageal cancer patients, the rate of whiskey drinkers is 25 times higher than that of the general population, and the rate of beer drinkers is 10 times higher. Alcohol itself has no carcinogenic effect, but it is a solvent for carcinogens, making it easy for carcinogens to enter the esophageal mucosa. At the same time, alcohol can also dehydrate the esophageal mucosa and cause esophageal mucosal damage, creating conditions for the occurrence of esophageal cancer.

3. Bad eating habits. Bad eating habits and long-term consumption of overheated, hard, rough food and spicy food may cause damage to the esophageal mucosa. Repeated damage can cause mucosal hyperplasia and eventually lead to cancer. In addition, the amount of sauerkraut consumed is proportional to the incidence of esophageal cancer. These foods are often contaminated by mold during the pickling process, and mold can significantly increase the content of nitrosamines in food.