An Introduction to Home Care for Esophageal Cancer

Abstract

Esophageal cancer is a common tumor of the digestive tract and is a malignant tumor which affect one’s health and is potentially life threatening. The incidence and mortality rate of esophageal cancer in China is relatively high, with the incidence rate being the sixth highest and the mortality rate being the fourth highest among all malignant tumors. The lesion often occurs in the middle segment of the epithelium of the esophagus, often showing a family tendency, and is more likely to occur in middle-aged and elderly men. The typical symptom of esophageal cancer is progressive dysphagia, first with dry food, then with semi-liquid food, and finally with water and saliva. Treatment is divided into surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and combination therapy. Apart from malnutrition and pain, the treatment can also cause great psychological stress to patients with esophageal cancer. Therefore, diet, pain, and psychological care for patients with esophageal cancer are crucial. Therefore, it more care is given to the patients by medical and nursing staff during hospitalization. However, not much have been discussed about home care for patients with esophageal cancer. In this article, we will talk about the home care of esophageal cancer patients from the following aspects: dietary, pain management, and psychological care.