Esophageal cancer is certainly not something to be dealt with – it’s highly deadly, and it doesn’t know mercy. Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption increase the risk of developing this terrifying type of cancer. Apart from being very dangerous by itself, esophageal cancer is also difficult to diagnose early.
But KUTV.com reveals a new idea involving a test that could solve the problem. The EsoGuard test is the one in question, and it aims to detect esophageal cancer and even pre-cancer cells. The test is already available in four cities, which grants a lot of hope for an extension.
The cancer can’t progress enough anymore
We have strong reasons to be happy. With the new test, we can expect a lot of lives to be saved. Here’s what Dr. Brian Deguzman, the Chief Medical Officer of PAVmed, has to say, as quoted by KUTV.com:
The test can find these patients in the pre-cancer stage so we can get to them early and treat them and avoid getting cancer altogether.
The doctor even believes that thousands of lives will be saved.
The Esoguard test implies that the patient will swallow a capsule that’s attached to a tether. The EsoCheck device is used to analyze the DNA and look for abnormal esophageal cells. The catheter, meaning the tether, is guided into the stomach after the patient swallows the capsule. A balloon will be inflated into the capsule that will have to swab in the interior of the esophagus. The cells and capsules will be sent to a laboratory, where they’ll be assessed.
The National Cancer Institute shares other terrifying claims about esophageal cancer:
The rate of new cases of esophageal cancer was 4.2 per 100,000 men and women per year. The death rate was 3.9 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2014–2018 cases and 2015–2019 deaths.
