The Oesophagus

574 Words2 Pages

The Oesophagus The oesophagus (gullet) is the tube through which food and drink pass

from the back of the throat to the stomach. It lies in the back of the

chest just in front of the spine. The outer muscular layers of the

oesophagus move fluid or food towards the stomach. At the lower end

there is a muscular valve which prevents stomach acid from entering

the gullet from below.

The cancer arises from the lining of the gullet and the effect is to

narrow the oesophagus and cause difficulty in swallowing. First solid

food tends to lodge or stick and then liquids. The cancerous cells may

also spread outside the gullet to involve the neighbouring structures,

such as lymph nodes and blood vessels in the chest, and they may be

carried in the blood stream to form secondary tumours in the liver or

elsewhere.

Most cancers in the upper two-thirds of the gullet are known as

squamous carcinomas from the squamous (skin-like) cells which line the

oesophagus.

Those occurring near the join with the stomach, are usually

adenocarcinomas, derived from stomach-like cells. This is particularly

the case when stomach-type (columnar) cells have replaced squamous

cells at the lower end of the gullet, a condition known as Barrett’s

Oesophagus.

What causes cancer of the oesophagus?

This cancer is particularly common in some parts of Africa and China

and is probably related to local diet or the way food is cooked. In

the West, important risk factors are cigarette smoking and alcohol

consumption. A combination of the two appears to increase the risk.

More about The Oesophagus

Open Document