What are the symptoms of esophageal cancer in the elderly

The symptoms of esophageal cancer are usually hidden in the early stages, but if elderly people experience difficulty swallowing, food regurgitation, weight loss, etc., they should seek medical attention as soon as possible to get a clear diagnosis.

1. Dysphagia

Dysphagia is one of the typical symptoms of esophageal cancer. It is often manifested as a foreign body sensation when eating, especially when eating hard food. As the tumor grows, even drinking water or swallowing saliva may become difficult. This is caused by the esophageal cavity being blocked by the tumor. It is recommended that elderly people with swallowing problems seek medical attention in time and undergo gastroscopy to confirm the cause.

2Chest pain or tightness after eating

Patients with esophageal cancer may feel pain or burning behind the sternum when eating. The pain is usually not severe, but it will gradually become more severe as the disease progresses. Some patients may mistakenly think that it is acid reflux or cardiovascular problems. At this time, other diseases should be ruled out through examination.

3. Rapid weight loss

Patients with esophageal cancer are prone to significant weight loss due to difficulty eating or loss of appetite, often accompanied by weakness. When elderly people experience unintentional weight loss and other symptoms, they should be alert to potential malignant lesions of the digestive tract and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

4. Persistent cough or hoarseness

Tumor invasion of adjacent tissues may cause compression of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, resulting in hoarseness. Food cannot pass easily, which may cause reflux coughing. If patients often experience this, especially the elderly, it should be taken seriously.

5Other systemic symptoms

In the late stage, the disease may cause gastrointestinal bleeding, vomiting blood or black stools, and even cancer cells may spread to distant organs such as the lungs, liver or bones, causing a series of symptoms such as coughing, bone pain, jaundice, etc. This is usually the late stage and systemic treatment should be taken immediately.

If the above symptoms occur, the elderly should seek medical attention as soon as possible, make a clear diagnosis through gastroscopy, biopsy and other means, and receive treatment as prescribed by the doctor. Treatments for esophageal cancer include surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, combined with a reasonable diet and meticulous care to improve the quality of life.