Esophageal cancer is a common digestive tract tumor, and China is a high-risk area for esophageal cancer in the world, with more males than females, mostly aged over 40 years old. How can esophageal cancer patients receive better care?
What factors are prone to causing esophageal cancer?
Long term preference for hot and coarse food, drinking strong tea, liking to eat pickled foods, moldy foods, and consuming spicy foods can cause damage to the esophageal mucosa, leading to esophageal mucosal hyperplasia, and may also be one of the carcinogenic factors. There is a certain relationship between trace element deficiency, smoking, and drinking strong alcohol and the incidence of esophageal cancer. Various long-term untreated esophagitis may be precancerous lesions of esophageal cancer. Nitrosamine compounds are strong carcinogens, and long-term consumption increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer.
Clinical symptoms of esophageal cancer: Early symptoms of esophageal cancer are not obvious, manifested as occasional discomfort when swallowing coarse and hard foods, such as burning, needle like, or pulling pain behind the sternum, slow passage of the esophagus, and a sense of stagnation or foreign body sensation. Dysphagia can be relieved and disappear by swallowing water, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Progressive dysphagia is a typical clinical manifestation of esophageal cancer: first solid food, then semi liquid food, and finally inability to swallow water. If left untreated, after complete esophageal obstruction, patients will quickly experience dehydration and extreme weight loss, which can be life-threatening. Diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer
Treatment of esophageal cancer: Firstly, esophageal carcinoma in situ can be treated under gastroscopy. Secondly, early and mid stage esophageal cancer can be surgically removed, including thoracoscopic minimally invasive surgery and open chest surgery. Thirdly, advanced esophageal cancer can be treated conservatively, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and traditional Chinese medicine treatment.
Daily care for esophageal cancer:
1. A good environment is conducive to patients' physical and mental relaxation, creating a warm, comfortable, and clean environment. Disinfect and air dry bedding on time every day to prevent pressure ulcers.
2. Psychological care: Esophageal cancer patients and their families actively learn about esophageal cancer related knowledge, guide patients to listen to music, watch movies, read books and other ways to distract themselves, and cultivate a good mentality to adapt to life. Communicate more with patients, provide support and motivation, and help build confidence.
3. Dietary care: Under the premise of ensuring balanced nutrition, light diet should be the main focus, with less fat and salt; The temperature should not be too high or too hot, preferably soft and easy to digest and absorb. Eat more foods rich in high-quality protein and fatty acids, consume moderate amounts of coarse fiber foods, and drink plenty of water.
4. Side effect care: Avoid using overheated water and direct sunlight, keep the skin clean and moisturized, prevent digestive side effects by adjusting diet, and use antidiarrheal drugs appropriately.
5. In terms of daily care, patients should be given appropriate massages, foot baths, nail trimming, hair washing, etc. to help improve their quality of life. Closely monitor vital signs, including pulse, blood pressure, respiration, etc; Provide a reasonable diet, drink plenty of water, promote the excretion of metabolic products, and prevent constipation.
6. Pain care: Provide hot compress, cold compress, massage, etc., listen to light music, etc. For active patients, they can choose exercises that are suitable for their physical condition and should not be excessive.
During the treatment of esophageal cancer patients, many adverse reactions may occur, affecting their physical and mental health. Therefore, family members and caregivers need to adopt effective nursing methods to relieve patients' physical and psychological pain, encourage patients to actively face life and cooperate with doctors' treatment, thereby improving the efficacy and quality of life of esophageal cancer patients.