Causes
As with most cancers, the actual causes of esophageal cancer are unknown. There are, however, some known risk factors in its development. Some of these include:
- age - this type of cancer is usually found in people over the age of 55
- alcohol abuse
- chewing tobacco
- diets consisting of highly irritating foods, or poor nutrition (not enough fresh fruit and vegetables)
- drinking very hot liquids
- exposure to toxins such as solvents
- human papillomavirus - HPV, the virus that can cause vaginal warts, can also develop into certain cancers
- obesity
- smoking
- ingestion of lye (e.g., accidentally swallowing lye as a child)
Some cancerous tumors in the esophagus have spread there from elsewhere in the body. Cancers of the larynx, pharynx, tonsils, lungs, breast, liver, kidney, prostate, testicles, bone, and skin can all spread to the esophagus.
People with certain medical conditions can have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer. These conditions include:
- achalasia - people with achalasia have difficulty emptying the esophagus because the muscles are unable to push the food effectively from the mouth to the stomach
- GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) - people who have had GERD (a condition where stomach acid splashes up into the esophagus) for a long time are at a higher risk of esophageal cancer
- Plummer-Vinson syndrome and Barrett's esophagus - people with these disorders have abnormal cells in the esophagus that can become cancerous
- tylosis - people with this skin disorder tend to have a higher incidence of esophageal cancer