Are Aschalasias Usually Cancerous In Esophagus?
 
                                    
                                    
                                          
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                                           Sun, 30 Jun 2013
                                           
                                        
                                        
                                        
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                                                Sun, 30 Jun 2013
                                                
                                            
                                                Answered on
                                             
                                            
                                                
                                                Tue, 23 Jul 2013
                                                
                                                
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                                            Question : Are aschalasias usually cancerous in the esophagus
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                            ?
                                    Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Esophageal achalasia is non-cancerous condition. It is caused by smooth muscles disorder in the lower part of the esophagus. It gives difficulty swallowing, regurgitation and chest pain. However it does not give cancer symptoms like loss of appetite, weakness, weight loss.
Achalasia can increase cancer risk due to constant regurgitation and inflammation. Such risk is about 1%.
So if you have been diagnosed with barium swallow and gastroscopy with biopsies, you should not worry about the cancer. Just have endoscopy every few years.
If you have had only barium swallow, gastroscopy should be done.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
                                    
                            Thank you for the query.
Esophageal achalasia is non-cancerous condition. It is caused by smooth muscles disorder in the lower part of the esophagus. It gives difficulty swallowing, regurgitation and chest pain. However it does not give cancer symptoms like loss of appetite, weakness, weight loss.
Achalasia can increase cancer risk due to constant regurgitation and inflammation. Such risk is about 1%.
So if you have been diagnosed with barium swallow and gastroscopy with biopsies, you should not worry about the cancer. Just have endoscopy every few years.
If you have had only barium swallow, gastroscopy should be done.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
 Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
                              
                            
                                  
                                      Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
                                  
                              
                                         
 
                                    
                                    
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