Although these individuals are at increased risk of developing esophageal cancer, the vast majority of them will never develop it. But in a few patients with GERD (estimated at 10-15%), a change in the esophageal lining develops, a condition called Barrett’s esophagus.

But you may not know that heartburn can be a symptom of something called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a potentially serious condition that — if left untreated — can ultimately lead to esophageal cancer.

Chronic heartburn can greatly increase a person’s risk of developing one of the deadliest of cancers, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, a major new study has shown. Over all, in the study, having chronic heartburn increased the risk of cancer by nearly eightfold.

Other end stage signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer can include:

• worsening cough and sore throat.
• labored breathing.
• greater hoarseness and difficulty speaking above a whisper.
• hiccups.
• nausea and vomiting.
• bone and joint pain.
• bleeding in the esophagus, which can lead to blood in the digestive tract and stool.

The overall 5-year survival rate for people with esophageal cancer is 20%. Treatment for the disease has slowly improved. In the 1960s and 1970s, the overall 5-year survival rate was 5%. However, survival rates depend on several factors, including the stage of the cancer when it is first diagnosed.

The most common symptom of esophageal cancer is trouble swallowing, especially a feeling of food stuck in the throat. With some patients, choking on food also occurs. These symptoms gradually worsen over time, with an increase in pain on swallowing, as your esophagus narrows from the growing cancer.

Because esophageal cancer usually is not diagnosed until the disease has spread, the death rate is high. Fewer than 5% of people survive more than 5 years. Many die within a year of noticing the first symptoms.

Beware of other conditions that can mimic esophageal cancer:

• Esophageal varices.
• Achalasia: also a risk factor of ESCC.
• Benign tumors: Papilloma, Lipoma, polyp, fibrolipoma, hemangioma, neurofibroma, leiomioma, hamartoma, cysts.
• GERD.
• Reflux esophagitis.
• Caustic esophagitis.
• Infectious esophagitis.
• Esophageal ulcer.

Excessive belching can be a sign of certain types of cancers, including esophageal, pancreatic, and stomach. However, more often than not, excessive belching is caused by less serious, highly treatable conditions.

It may feel like food is stuck in the throat or the chest, or you may even choke on the food. This symptom is often mild in its early stages but gradually worsens as the disease progresses. Someone with esophageal cancer may experience pain in the middle of the chest that feels like pressure or burning.

Signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer include:

• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
• Weight loss without trying.
• Chest pain, pressure or burning.
• Worsening indigestion or heartburn.
• Coughing or hoarseness.

Specifically, cancer of the esophagus begins in the inner layer of the esophageal wall and grows outward. If it spreads through the esophageal wall, it can travel to lymph nodes, which are the small, bean-shaped organs that help fight infection, as well as the blood vessels in the chest and other nearby organs.

Between 80 and 90 percent of esophageal cancer patients diagnosed in stage 0 can expect to survive five years following their treatment. Stage I. At this stage of esophageal cancer, the disease has spread deeper into the tissues of the esophagus, but has not yet affected nearby lymph nodes or organs.

In most cases of esophageal cancer, the DNA mutations that lead to cancer are acquired during a person’s life rather than having been inherited. Certain risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use, probably play a role in causing these acquired mutations, but so far it’s not known what causes most of them.

The food pipe connects the mouth to the stomach. Esophageal cancer grows slowly and may grow for many years before the symptoms are felt. However, once the symptoms develop, esophageal cancer progresses rapidly. As the tumor grows, it can seep into the deep tissues and organs near the esophagus.

The 3-year survival rate was 32% for patients receiving combined therapy and 6% for patients receiving surgery alone. This clinical trial, in addition to the previous one, suggests that combined modality treatment appears superior to treatment with surgery alone for stage III esophageal cancer.

A complete clinical response was observed in 7 of the 14 patients not undergoing surgery. Survival at one year for all patients was 69%, with 50% of patients alive at two years. There were no treatment-related deaths during the chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but 10% of patients died from surgical complications.

In one clinical study from Japan, the 5-year survival rate for patients with stage I esophageal cancer was 86% following endoscopic surgical resection. In another study from Japan, the average survival for 6 patients treated with surgery alone was 15 years. To learn more, go to Surgery and Cancer of the Esophagus.

Age. People between the ages of 45 and 70 have the highest risk of esophageal cancer. Gender. Men are 3 to 4 times more likely than women to develop esophageal cancer.

Signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer are weight loss and painful or difficult swallowing.

• Painful or difficult swallowing.
• Weight loss.
• Pain behind the breastbone.
• Hoarseness and cough.
• Indigestion and heartburn.
• A lump under the skin.