Cancer care: Stomach and esophageal cancerSkip section navigation
Stomach and esophageal cancer prevention and detection
Watch for symptomsStomach and esophageal cancer have a lot in common when it comes to prevention and detection. But stomach cancer symptoms can differ from esophageal cancer symptoms.
Stomach cancer symptoms
Early symptoms of stomach cancer often are not noticed.
Once stomach cancer symptoms appear, they may include:
Esophageal cancer symptoms
Swallowing difficulty is the most common symptom of esophageal cancer. You may complain of food getting stuck as you try to swallow it. If swallowing becomes a persistent problem, contact your health care provider.
You should also watch for other esophageal cancer symptoms:
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Know your risksKnowing what puts you at risk of getting cancer of the stomach or esophagus can help you take steps to prevent disease.
Source: Virginia Piper Cancer Institute; National Cancer Institute; American Cancer Society Reviewed by: Daniel Dunn, MD, medical director, Virginia Piper Cancer Institute Esophageal and Gastric Cancer Program First Published: 10/29/2009 Last Reviewed: 10/29/2009 |
Smoking tobacco causes most cases of lung cancer. That is why we offer smoking cessation programs.
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Tests you may haveMany of the tests used to diagnose stomach cancer are also used to find esophageal cancer. If your health care provider suspects either cancer, you may have one or more of these tests:
A specially trained doctor places a flexible plastic tube with a camera into the mouth to examine the esophagus and stomach. The doctor then takes samples of tissue that will be examined for cancer. Patients are asleep during this type of endoscopy.
An endoscopic ultrasound allows your doctor to see if there is anything abnormal in your esophagus, stomach and other parts of your digestive tract.
An upper GI (gastrointestinal) series is a set of X-rays of the esophagus and stomach. It is also called a barium swallow because you first need to swallow a drink with barium. In X-rays, the substance outlines the esophagus and stomach. This helps doctors see any tumors.
A thoracic CT is a computerized tomography (CT) scan of the chest and upper abdomen, including the esophagus and stomach. Computer-generated pictures show details inside of the esophagus and stomach.
A PET (positron emission tomography) scan may find cancer that other tests may not find. First, a small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. A scanner takes pictures of areas inside the body where the glucose is used. Cancer cells use more glucose because they grow at a faster rate than normal cells.
Bronchoscope can show whether esophageal cancer is affecting the breathing tube or air passages that lead to the lungs.
Source: Virginia Piper Cancer Institute; American Cancer Society; National Cancer Institute Reviewed by: Daniel Dunn, MD, medical director, Virginia Piper Cancer Institute Esophageal and Gastric Cancer Program First Published: 10/29/2009 Last Reviewed: 10/29/2009 | |
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