The contributing causes are regurgitation of acid from the stomach, cigarette smoking and alcohol. Repeated indigestion, upper abdominal pain, regurgitation of recently eaten food can be symptoms of cancer of the esophagus. Since the survival of this disease needs to be improved, more thorough investigation of chronic symptoms must be pursued.
Prognosis depends on how advanced the cancer is at the time of diagnosis.
It is difficult to diagnose cancer of the esophagus early and therefore vigilance of chronic symptoms is essential. People with Barrett ' s esophagus need to be continuously vigilant. A PET scan is an essential test before any treatment is initiated. The PET Scan is based on the fact that cancer cells pick up glucose with ten times the avidity of normal body cells, so radio-active glucose can be easily seen on spectroscopy. The PET scan will tell more accurately than any other diagnostic test whether the cancer has left its primary source.