Esophageal cancer symptoms, causes and why you no suppose ignore am

Esophageal cancer na di sixth most common cause of cancer death worldwide, yet many pipo no sabi say dem get di disease.

Dis na because di e no dey show symptoms for di beginning of di disease.

Esophageal cancer na wetin happun to di former Scottish soccer player, Andy Goram, wey serve as goalkeeper and play for several clubs for Scotland and England, na recently e open up say im get Esophageal cancer.

Di news shock im followers as Goram wey be 58 years old tok say im get about six months to live.

For inside one interview, di former soccer player explain say im first fall sick about seven weeks ago wen he get problems eating and drinking.

But e ignore di heartburn im suffer initially afta im fail to get appointment wit im GP.

Like Goram, many patients wey dey treated for esophageal cancer don tok about how dis disease initially no dey show symptoms, or go show small-small symptoms wey dem dey easily ignore.

'I ignore am like everyone else'

Paul Sinclair, from Fife, Scotland, tell BBC im first start to dey experience wetin be like "gas for di lower rib cage" for September 2020. Sinclair also say im bin "chop too much for one bite."

"I ignore am like everyone else," e tok. "I bin dey reason say she get gas. She dey chop well and no dey experience any pain.

"I go see doctor and e say make I do endoscopy wey confam say I get tumor for my upper stomach."

Sinclair bin do four rounds of chemotherapy over an eight-week period before a six-week break.

E later do 11-hour operation, wey also include di removal of im spleen. E later do anoda "very aggressive chemotherapy" again.

"I bin dey very sick wit both chemotherapy sessions," e explain. "Di second one dey worse because you don already weak afta di operation."

"As you recover, you gatz learn to start learning to eat again, to chew food well, to eat small portions and many meals throughout di day."

Now, three years later, Sinclair fit don go back gym for light workout, but tins no go ever dey "quite normal."

Wetin be di symptoms of esophageal cancer

Di esophagus na di long tube wey dey carry food from di throat to di stomach. Di main symptoms of cancer na:

- having trouble swallowing (dysphagia)
- feel or get nausea
- heartburn or reflux
- symptoms of indigestion, like burping a lot

Oda symptoms include:

-cough wey no dey get better
- hoarse voice
- loss of appetite or weight loss
- feeling tired or without energy
- pain for di throat or for di middle of di chest, especially wen you dey swallow.

Source: NHS (UK National Health Service)

'Di sooner di better'

Caroline Geraghty, one specialist nurse wit Cancer Research UK, say di risk of oesophageal cancer dey increase by "typical tins" like smoking, drinking alcohol and gaining weight plus chewing tobacco.

"But having a higher risk no mean say you go surely get cancer," she tok. "Most pipo no sabi why dem get esophageal cancer."

Geraghty encourage anyone wey tink say im get symptoms to see dia GP "just to dey sure."