Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

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Complications of Cancer of the oesophagus

Without treatment, cancer of the oesophagus usually gets larger, and can spread to other parts of the body. If it is diagnosed and treated at an early stage (before it grows through the wall of the oesophagus or spreads to other parts of the body) then it can sometimes be cured. Unfortunately, most cases of cancer of the oesophagus aren’t diagnosed early on because symptoms don’t start to show up until the cancer is quite big.

If the cancer is diagnosed when it has grown through the wall of the oesophagus, or spread to other parts of the body, it is much harder to cure. However, treatment can ease symptoms and slow down the growth of the cancer.