What is esophageal cancer 4?
Stage 4 esophageal cancer is the most advanced of the five stages of the disease that are numerically rated from zero. At this stage, the tumor in the esophagus is large enough to prevent comfortable eating, drinking and breathing. In the stage of 4 diseases, tumors also usually spread to several other parts of the body.
It is common for esophageal cancer to be diagnosed for the first time in its later stages, because its symptoms are difficult to detect earlier. For this reason, esophageal cancer is often fatal. Once the cancer has progressed to the 4th phase, the chances of survival of the patient for more than a few years are extremely unlikely. Some patients also vomit blood. Most symptoms are the result of physical discomfort caused by a tumor.
esophageal cancer patient will usually have pain when eating. Dramatic weight loss in patient diseases is often the result of this physical pain as other factors of the disease. It can also be difficult for food to move around a larger tumor.
Once the patientadvanced to the esophagus cancer 4. degrees, the tumor is usually too large to be removed by surgery. Most doctors will resort to palliative care in which the disease is slowed and treated as much as possible, with very low expectations of treatment. At this point, the patient's comfort is a priority.
about half of most patients with advanced esophageal cancer will be entitled to palliative treatment. At this stage of the disease, radiation and chemotherapy are commonly administered. Some doctors try to break the tumor by sending electric current into the tissue with a wire in a process called electro -coagulation. Another common treatment is the placement of stents through endoscopy to open more respiratory space for the patient. Many doctors also prescribe special food to ensure that the patient receives proper nutrition despite the physical problems of eating and drinking.
In most cases electrocoagulation, radiation and chemoTherapy, whether combined or used separately, slows down tumor growth only. Although it is rare, the treatment occasionally reduces the tumor sufficiently to make an attempt to remove it. This procedure may not be enough to maintain life, because cancer at this stage often expands to other parts of the body.