The Relationship Between Esophageal Cancer and Relevant Factors

Esophageal cancer is a serious disease that threatens human health. This article aims to explore the relationship between esophageal cancer and some related factors, including esophageal injury and certain esophageal diseases, as well as precancerous lesions of diffuse or focal epithelial hyperplasia.

I. Esophageal Injury and Certain Esophageal Diseases Can Promote the Occurrence of Esophageal Cancer

In patients with corrosive esophageal burns and stenosis, achalasia, or reflux esophagitis, the incidence of esophageal cancer is higher than that of the general population. It is speculated that this is due to long-term chronic inflammation, ulcers, or chronic stimulation caused by the retention of substances in the esophagus, leading to the proliferation of esophageal epithelium and eventually canceration.

Epidemiological investigations have found that residents in high-incidence areas of esophageal cancer have habits such as eating very hot food, drinking strong alcohol, consuming large amounts of pepper, chewing betel nut or tobacco. These chronic physical and chemical irritations on the esophageal mucosa can all cause local epithelial cell proliferation.

II. Diffuse or Focal Epithelial Hyperplasia May Be Precancerous Lesions of Esophageal Cancer

Using a combination of endoscopy and histopathology, a sampling survey was conducted among a small population in the high-incidence area of esophageal cancer in China. It was found that the incidence of chronic esophagitis was relatively high, reaching about 50%. Most of these patients did not have gastroesophageal reflux, proving the correlation between chronic esophagitis and esophageal cancer. The incidence of esophageal cancer in patients with moderate and severe dysplasia was 26.7% and 65.2% respectively. The incidence of cancer in patients without esophageal epithelial hyperplasia was only 0.19%, which proves the relationship between esophageal epithelial dysplasia, especially severe dysplasia, and the occurrence of esophageal cancer.

In conclusion, esophageal injury and certain esophageal diseases, as well as diffuse or focal epithelial hyperplasia, have close relationships with the occurrence of esophageal cancer. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of these factors in the occurrence of esophageal cancer and to provide scientific basis for prevention and treatment.