The symptoms of esophageal cancer can be divided into three stages:

Early symptoms: The early symptoms of esophageal cancer mainly include retrosternal pain, burning or discomfort when swallowing food, and food friction. , stagnation or choking feeling. These symptoms are mostly mild, appear and disappear, last for several months or even 1 to 3 years, and then gradually worsen and become regular.

2. Mid-term symptoms: Dysphagia is a typical symptom of mid-to-late esophageal cancer. At first it was only noticeable when eating hard food, but gradually became persistent and progressive. It develops relatively rapidly, and some patients can stop drinking water in a short period of time. But some patients can also develop it very slowly, and even in the late stages it is not very serious. This is because the normal esophageal wall has good elasticity and expansibility. Only when the cancer involves the entire circumference of the esophagus and narrows the lumen to a certain extent will severe dysphagia occur. Dysphagia is sometimes worsened by inflammation, swelling from cancer, or by food blockage. Since dysphagia is a symptom of mid- to late-stage esophageal cancer, it is inappropriate to regard the occurrence of dysphagia as the onset time of esophageal cancer, or to simply use the severity of dysphagia to indicate the early or late stage of the disease. In the middle stage of esophageal cancer, vomiting of foamy mucus often occurs, especially when there is obstruction. This is because the obstruction of the esophagus prevents saliva and esophageal secretions from flowing downward into the stomach. Persistent dull pain in the chest and back is also a common symptom of late-stage esophageal cancer.

3. Late-stage symptoms: As the disease progresses and symptoms worsen, late-stage patients often experience weight loss, dehydration, constipation, weakness, etc. Distant metastases and other complications sometimes occur. Some patients suffer from cachexia and systemic failure. When there is metastasis to the liver, lungs, brain and other organs, symptoms such as jaundice, ascites, liver failure, coma, and dyspnea may occur.