Esophageal Cancer: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate esophageal cancer (esophageal cancer):

  • Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing; stenotic/”due to tightness”)* .
  • Weight loss*
  • Odynophagia (pain in the mouth, throat, or esophagus when swallowing liquids or solid foods)
  • Gastrointestinal bleeding [rare.]
  • Retrosternal thoracic pain (chest pain) – pain behind the sternum.
  • Dysphonia (hoarseness) due to recurrent paresis (vocal cord paralysis).
  • Anemia (anemia)*

* Symptoms usually appear quite late in esophageal cancer; for the most part, they are uncharacteristic.

Notice. Esophageal cancer may be associated with Plummer-Vinson syndrome (synonyms: sideropenic dysphagia, Paterson-Brown-Kelly syndrome). This presents with a symptom complex of trophic (“nutritional”) disturbances in the setting of prolonged iron-deficiency anemia (anemia due to iron deficiency):

  • Burning of the tongue (glossodynia, burning-mouth syndrome, BMS; glossitis).
  • Mouth rhagades (cheilitis).
  • Nail changes with growth disorders (hollow nails, koilonychia).
  • Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) due to major mucosal defects with pain; atrophy of the esophageal mucosa with esophageal mesh.
  • Splenomegaly (spleen enlargement).
  • General symptoms such as fatigue, weakness and tiredness.

Plummer-Vinson syndrome is itself an endogenous risk factor for the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx (throat) and esophagus. Patients are usually middle-aged women (4th to 7th decade of life).