Esophageal cancer isn’t the most common type of cancer in the world, but cases are on the rise in the United States and across the globe for a number of different reasons. And like so many other types of cancers, the sooner the condition is detected and treatment begins, the higher the likelihood of recovery and long-term survival.
In order to help prevent esophageal cancer and detect it at its most treatable, you need to know the warning signs and your personal risk of developing the condition. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at what factors increase a person’s risk of developing esophageal cancer.
Risk Factors For Esophageal Cancer
Below, we take a closer look at some of the risk factors associated with esophageal cancer. Not all of them are preventable or modifiable, but they are worth noting so that you can be aware of your personal risk.
- Age – Your likelihood of getting cancer increases as you get older, but that’s especially true with esophageal cancer, as only 15 percent of cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 55.
- Gender – Males are statistically more likely to develop esophageal cancer than women.
- Smoking – Smoking greatly increases your risk of esophageal cancer, as someone who smokes a pack a day is at least twice as likely to develop adenocarcinoma of the esophagus compared to a non-smoker, and those effects remain even if the individual stops smoking. That doesn’t mean you should just continue smoking, as other types of esophageal cancers, like squamous cell esophageal cancer, are less likely to develop in smokers who gave up the habit compared to those who continued to smoke.
- Untreated Esophageal Conditions – You might think that your acid reflux is nothing more than a bit of discomfort when you eat a big meal, but untreated esophageal issues like acid reflux or gastrointestinal reflux disease can significantly increase your risk of esophageal cancer. When stomach acid regularly makes its way back up into your esophageal canal, it damages the healthy cells and can eventually lead to the onset of cancer.
- Being Overweight – Bring overweight in and of itself may not increase your esophageal cancer risk, but it can increase your likelihood of other conditions that can cause your esophageal cancer risk to rise. For example, being overweight can put you at risk for a hiatal hernia or acid reflux, both of which can lead to more frequent stomach acid in your esophageal canal, which is a problem that we touched on in the above point.
- Sedentary Lifestyle – Living a sedentary lifestyle can put you at risk for obesity and other factors that can contribute to esophageal cancer. Conversely, living a physically active lifestyle can help to reduce your risk of esophageal cancer by 29 percent according to one study.
Regardless of whether you are high risk or not, be aware of any changes to your esophagus or new symptoms that may suggest a problem. The sooner you visit a GI specialist and have any potential issues identified, the sooner they can be treated and with higher likelihood of success. For help with any esophageal or gastrointestinal issues in the greater Twin Cities area, reach out to Dr. Bhatti and the team at Bhatti GI Consultants today.