Doctors Not Using Surgery as Often as Necessary Among Esophageal Cancer Patients

Surgery that is used to remove the esophagus of esophageal cancer patients is being underused, potentially costing patients their lives, according to physicians and researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

According to the study conducted by the researchers, only 34 percent of approximately 2,386 patients who were diagnosed with esophageal cancer from 1997 to 2002 received surgery. Patients that received surgery had a longer survival rate compared to patients who did not receive a surgical procedure.

The article, which was published in the Archives of Surgery in December 2008 also reported that "roughly 37 percent of white patients with early cancer of the esophagus were treated surgically compared with just 19 percent of their non-white counterparts." The results of the study determined that patients with esophageal cancer who receive surgical treatments are likely an increased rate of survival than those who do not receive such a treatment.

Cancer of the Esophagus

Esophageal cancer is considered a very severe form of cancer that is four times more likely to affect men than women and "African Americans are twice as likely as Caucasians to have this cancer," according to the University of California in Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine.

The Mayo Clinic describes esophageal cancer as a condition which effects the "10-inch long tube that connects your throat and the stomach". There are several common signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer including the following:

* difficulty swallowing

* unintentional weight loss

* pain in throat

* pain in midchest

* pain in between shoulders

* hoarseness

* hiccups

* vomiting blood

Developing Esophageal Cancer

There are many risk factors associated with the development of esophageal cancer including the following, as reported by the Mayo Clinic:

* An individual's age -- those between the ages of 55 and 70 are at an increased risk.

* A patient's sex is a large factor as men are more commonly affected compared to women.

* Race affects an individuals risk ‘especially squamous cell esophageal cancer,' which is more common among African Americans.

* Individuals who eat fruits and vegetables are more likely to be at less of a risk for developing the condition than those who consume a poor diet.

* Exposure to radiation therapy and treatments can increase risk.

* Exposure to toxins that may occur while on the job including sandstone and granite silica dust and dry cleaning solvents.

Those who consume a larger number of hot liquids may be at a higher risk for the onset of squamous cell, which is a form of esophageal cancer.

Also, those who consume the osteoporosis drug Fosamax are at an increased chance of developing esophageal cancer. Fosamax is commonly prescribed to individuals who have suffered from bone density loss and osteoporosis such as postmenopausal women. However, in January, the drug was found by The New England Journal of Medicine to have caused nearly 23 cases of esophageal cancer since its commercial release in 1995 from Merck and Company.

Fosamax has also been associated with the development of osteonecrosis (ONJ) of the jaw, according to another study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Because of the Fosamax side effects it may be necessary for a Fosamax patient to discuss their drug consumption with a medical professional. It may also be necessary to contact a pharmaceutical attorney to receive a free legal consultation on the potential development of a Fosamax class action lawsuit.

Constructing a Fosamax class action lawsuit may result in receiving an award of monetary compensation. It may be possible to receive monetary compensation because of the Fosamax side effects.