Symptoms of middle and late stages of esophageal cancer

First, patients with esophageal cancer will feel significant pain during eating. As the tumor blocks the esophagus, it becomes difficult for food to pass through, causing esophageal spasm and acid reflux, which can cause severe pain in the patient. This pain can worsen when swallowing, causing patients to often avoid food, leading to weight loss.

Secondly, because the esophagus is blocked by tumors, patients are prone to difficulty swallowing. In mid-to-late stage esophageal cancer, most tumors have expanded and invaded the tissues and organs around the esophagus, making it difficult for food to pass smoothly through the esophagus. Patients may feel that food is stuck or blocked in the esophagus and cannot swallow, leading to indigestion and malnutrition.

In addition, patients with esophageal cancer may also vomit blood. The growth of esophageal cancer lesions leads to damage to the esophageal mucosa, which in turn leads to bleeding. When a patient vomits, there will be vomit with bright red blood streaks, or black blood in the stool. Vomiting blood is a serious symptom that requires prompt medical attention.

In addition, patients with esophageal cancer also experience progressive weight loss. Because esophageal cancer blocks the esophagus, the amount of food intake is reduced, resulting in insufficient nutritional intake. In addition, the growth of tumors also consumes nutrients in the patient's body, causing the patient to lack energy and nutrients, and the body becomes sub-healthy.

Finally, esophageal cancer in the middle and late stages may spread to other organs, causing damage and symptoms to other organs. For example, if esophageal cancer spreads to the lungs, it will cause symptoms such as cough, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing; if it spreads to the liver, it will cause symptoms such as ascites and jaundice; if it spreads to the lymph nodes, it will cause symptoms such as swelling of the neck and armpits.

In summary, the symptoms of mid- and late-stage esophageal cancer are diverse, including difficulty swallowing food, pain, hematemesis, progressive weight loss, and symptoms caused by other organ invasion. If you find yourself or others experiencing these symptoms, seek medical attention as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment to improve your chances of recovery. We hope that through more publicity and popularization, we can improve everyone's understanding of esophageal cancer and jointly prevent and early detect esophageal cancer.