The Connection Between Male Obesity And Esophageal Cancer: And How To Minimize It

Posted on: 28 April 2017

Being overweight is a problem that affects many men around the world. It causes a lot of serious health problems, one of which is esophageal cancer. While not as regularly discussed as prostate cancer, it can be a dangerous problem for men who are obese.

Obesity When Young Increases Esophageal Cancer Risk

Studies have shown that being overweight in the 20s and obese later in life can seriously impact the chance of developing esophageal cancer. The risk percentage jumps by as much as 60-80 percent in many instances, through obesity later in life can increase the risk by as much as three times. This increase is triggered by a variety of symptoms caused by being obese, such as acid reflux and heartburn.

It Is A Serious Danger For Many Men

Esophageal cancer is a problem that very heavily affects men. The yearly death rate of this disease is over 15,690 people every year, with 12,270 of them being men. Even worse, the five-year survival rate of this cancer is 41 percent when the cancer is just in the esophagus. It drops to 5 percent if it spreads to other parts of the body.

As a result, it is fair to say that this disease needs to be discovered as soon as possible to increase chances of survival. Men who were heavy in their 20s and obese later into life needs to get regular cancer screenings to catch this disease. They also need to watch out for certain signs that this disease is occurring in their body.

Watching For Signs Of This Disease

Typical warning signs of this disease include:

  • Feeling like food is stuck in the throat
  • Regular chest pain
  • Surprising weight loss
  • Vomiting regularly
  • Recurrence of pneumonia
  • Sudden hiccups
  • Bleeding in the stool
  • Anemia
  • Hiccups
  • Pneumonia

Men who were obese for much of their life, particularly in their late teens and early 20s, need to start losing weight as soon as possible and watching themselves for symptoms of this disease. Losing weight early in life can help minimize the chance of suffering from this disease, as can regular checkups with a doctor.

Treatment Is Possible

The moment esophageal cancer is noticed in a man, it needs to be treated. Catching it in stage 0 helps make it easier to remove these problematic cells and avoid more serious development. As it develops in intensity, the type of treatment changes. For example, stage 1 utilizes surgery and some chemotherapy and radiation. However, later stages cannot use surgery, due to the more advanced nature of the cancer.

As a result, a man with this cancer may end up staying at a cancer treatment clinic on a full-time basis. However, this can help them beat this disease and live a happy and healthy life, particularly if they catch it early enough.

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