"What Should Be Done for an Elderly Person in the Middle to Late Stages of Esophageal Cancer?"
1. Dietary Adjustment: Avoid spicy and stimulating foods such as chili, garlic, and mustard in daily life to prevent affecting the recovery of the condition. Also, reduce the intake of coffee, strong tea, and quit smoking and alcohol.
2. Exercise: Appropriate aerobic exercises, such as walking slowly and practicing Tai Chi, can enhance immunity and benefit the recovery of the disease.
1. Chemotherapy: As esophageal cancer is a consumptive disease, patients in the middle to late stages often experience weight loss and loss of appetite. At this stage, chemotherapy drugs like Paclitaxel Injection and Cisplatin Injection can be used under medical supervision to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells, thus controlling the progression of the disease.
2. Targeted Therapy: Drugs like Gefitinib Tablets and Erlotinib Hydrochloride Tablets can be prescribed for targeted therapy as they can directly act on the lesion site to kill cancer cells.
If the patient is in good physical condition and there is no distant organ metastasis, palliative surgery can be performed to remove the lesion. Postoperatively, radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be required as adjunctive therapy to prevent cancer cell recurrence or spread. Families should provide more care and companionship to help patients build confidence in overcoming the disease. If symptoms persist or worsen, immediate consultation with a thoracic surgeon and relevant examinations like blood tests and X-rays are recommended for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
