Health encyclopaedia

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Cancer of the oesophagus

The oesophagus is the medical name for the gullet. It is part of the digestive system. The oesphagus is a long tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. The top part of oesophagus lies behind the windpipe (trachea). The bottom part runs down through the chest between the spine and the heart.

The body is made up of millions of different types of cells. Cancer happens when some of the cells multiply in an abnormal way, causing a growth called a tumour to form. Tumours can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). They can occur in any part of the body where the cells multiply abnormally.

Cancer of the oesophagus is rare in the UK. People over the age of 50 are most commonly affected. There are two main types of cancer of the oesophagus:

• Cancer in the upper part of the oesophagus is called squamous cell carcinoma. It happens when cells on the inside lining of the oesophagus multiply abnormally.
• Cancer in the lower part of the oesophagus is called adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. It happens when cells inside the mucus glands that line the oesophagus multiply abnormally. (Mucus glands produce a slimy substance to help food slide down the oesophagus more easily)

• Symptoms
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention
• Complications

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