The esophageal sphincters are bands of muscles at the top and bottom of the esophagus — the muscular tube that passes food and drink from the mouth to the stomach. Esophageal sphincters open and close ...

Panel A shows the microscopic myoarchitecture of the circular and longitudinal muscle layers of the lower esophageal sphincter and stomach. The circular muscle fibers of the esophagus cross each other ...

Esophageal cancer does not usually cause symptoms early on, and people may only notice it when tumors have progressed enough to cause symptoms. After symptoms start, it typically progresses quickly.

Sherri Gordon, CLC is a certified professional life coach, author, and journalist covering health and wellness, social issues, parenting, and mental health. She also has a certificate of completion ...

Cryotherapy isn’t a curative treatment for stage 4 esophageal cancer. Instead, it’s used to relieve one of the major symptoms of this stage: difficulty swallowing. Esophageal cancer in stage 4 can be ...

A small number of esophageal cancers are linked to genes passed through families. But most esophageal cancers aren’t linked to a family history and don’t have a known cause. In the United States, ...