Afraid I have esophageal cancer. I am extremely scared.

dshultz83

I know this forum is meant for those who have been diagnosed with the disease and I absolutely respect them and if this type of post bothers you. Feel free to not respond

Getting that out of the way. I am a 28 year old male. Never smoked or drank a day in my life. I have dealt with reflux for about 7 years off and on. I usually haven’t taken acid blocking medication just anti acids when it bothers me.

about a week ago I started to notice a sudden lump in my throat on the right side. It felt like something was swollen on the right side of my throat. A few days later I started to notice that I was belching a lot. Which was not the first time that has happened but the belching became Pretty much uncontrollable . then I started to feel a burning pain in the throat, perhaps maybe acid along with the lump feeling In my throat. When I eat I don’t have any issues swallowing and can eat like normal but after I eat I have burping, lump in my throat along with the burning or acid feeling.

I know nobody is a doctor here but it would be nice to have some support on this because I’m absolutely terrified of esophageal cancer and I don’t really know much about the disease

paul61

Hi Dshultz,

Your symptoms do not sound like "typical" esophageal cancer symptoms. Typical symptoms would include,:

1. Getting food stuck while swallowing
2. Pain in the chest below the sternum or in the middle of the back
3. Pain swallowing as food moves through the esophagus to the stomach
4. Hiccups while or after eating

There are a number of things that could explain your current symptoms, like an inflamed lymph node, esophageal thrush, or esophagitis. By the way; smoking or drinking has very little to do with esophageal cancer, at least not the typical adenocarcinoma common in the US. Adenocarcinoma is typically caused by long term irritation of the esophagus caused by acid reflux that evolves into Barrett's esophagus and then to esophageal cancer.

Of course, I am sure you know, the best way to find peace of mind is to have your symptoms evaluated by a doctor, including and endoscopy if they feel it is warranted. It would be very unusual for someone your age to develop esophageal cancer.

Best Regards,

Paul

Pershack

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/325800/afraid-i-have-esophageal-cancer-i-am-extremely-scared

Hi,

amikins21

Hi Dschultz,

Is your food getting stuck while going down? Have you unexpectedly lost weight? Those were big signs for my husband.

It's best to get it checked. With esophageal cancer the earlier you catch it, the better. And if its just Gerd, then they can give you meds for that and provide you with a new diet.

Better to be safe than sorry.

WoodieC

I also was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, stage 4, August 1, 2021. I have been through radiation and 1 year of chemotherapy. I recently started 2 years of immunotherapy. for the first 11 months I could not eat anything because my esophagus was closed off. More radiation opened it and I can now eat some foods, mostly soft things,. Other wise things get stuck and it takes them a while to go down.

Like you, I go through periods of fear. I understand. It's hard to talk to people about our diagnosis because it scares them too or they don't know how to respond. When I feel afraid I need someone to talk to. I have 3 sons and 6 siblings, but it is still hard.

I am in remission now and hoping that there is no recurrence. My response for fear is prayer, but that doesn't work for everyone. Please feel free to message me. We are here to help each other. I would appreciate it if I could hear how you are doing.

Esophagectomysurvive

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/325800/afraid-i-have-esophageal-cancer-i-am-extremely-scared

Esophagectomysurvive

Hopefully you've consulted a gastroenterologist by now. You're very young to have gerd, and not to frighten you, but when I went to a new primary doctor 3 years ago and I told him I'd had gerd for 20 years he told me it could cause cancer. He promptly set me up with an appointment for an egd with biopsy. They discovered high grade dysplasia. With all that I've been through since then I wish I'd followed the gerd diet to a t. A good gastroenterologist can ease your mind regarding cancer, and guide you on a diet that can alleviate your symptoms and possibly without medication.