No unusual signs but still found out sick
Having no unusual signs of health, when Mr. N.T.A (62 years old, living in Hanoi) went for a periodic health check-up, he could not help but be shocked when the doctor said he discovered damage and suspected early stage esophageal cancer.
Mr. A. said that for the past 20 years, he has maintained the habit of smoking a lot of cigarettes a day and regularly drinking alcohol. Although he has no abdominal pain, no chest pain, no difficulty breathing, eats normally and does not lose weight, he still proactively checks his general health.
With a history of smoking 20 packs/year and regular use of alcohol, the doctor ordered him to undergo tests and endoscopy of the esophagus - stomach - duodenum. The endoscopic colon results showed a half-ctal polyp about 1cm in size (NICE 2).
In particular, when endoscoping the esophagus - stomach - duodenum, the doctor discovered two suspicious lesions: One in the throat quarter about 1cm in size and the other in the middle 1/3 of the esophagus about 2.5cm in size.
Under the enhanced NBI endoscopy technology, the damage has a blood vessel structure of type B1, suspected to be malicious. The doctor performed a photoshow and sent samples for pathology.
The results of the pathology determined that esophageal damage was low-grade scabies astigmatism. Doctor diagnosed: Pre-opssional ha-gally damage K essential scabies disorder C2 Hp(+ gastritis stomach - colunar polycystene foreign bodies.
Holding the results in hand, Mr. A was extremely regretful for maintaining the habit of smoking and drinking alcohol for a long time. It was these seemingly harmless habits that silently destroyed his health, causing the disease to progress without any unusual signs.
According to statistics from the World Cancer Society (GLOBOCAN 2020), Vietnam recorded more than 3,200 cases of esophageal cancer, including more than 3,000 deaths - ranking 9th among causes of death from cancer.
Esophageal cancer is a malignant tumor that results from esophageal exemplary cells, which are two main types: scabies and loan shell cancer. In the early stages, the disease often has no obvious symptoms, so most patients only detect it at a late stage. In fact, only about 2% of patients are diagnosed when the disease is still early.
MSc. Dr. Luu Tuan Thanh - Gastroenterologist, MEDLATEC General Hospital - said: "Patient N.T.A has three high risk factors including being over 60 years old, smoking and drinking alcohol. Many studies show that smokers are 8:10 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer than non-smokers.
Fortunately, Mr. A. detected the disease at an early stage, so the chance of effective treatment is still high. If left until a late stage, treatment will be difficult, the survival rate after 5 years is only about 5%.
To prevent esophageal cancer, experts recommend that people need:
Say no to cigarettes because cigarette smoke contains many toxins that irritate and damage esophageal tissue cells.
Limit alcohol - regular use can destroy the esophageal and stomach lining.
Eat healthy - increase green vegetables, fruits, grains; limit fried, spicy and processed foods.
Maintain a scientific lifestyle - eat and sleep regularly, avoid stress, and have regular health check-ups.
Mr. A.'s case is a warning for those who are maintaining the habit of smoking and drinking alcohol. Proactively checking your health regularly is the only way to help detect early, protect yourself from the risk of Esophageal cancer - a dangerous disease that can be effectively treated if detected promptly.
