Cancer symptoms: Top 14 early signs to look out for
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Cancer is a ruthless killer because it often spreads before it is detected, hampering efforts to thwart it. What’s more, it can attack anyone, regardless of age or gender. However, you can modify your risk by watching what you eat.
Some dietary associations are not surprising – the link between processed meat and bowel cancer is well documented.
Research has identified some eye-opening associations over the years, however.
According to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer, pickled vegetables can increase your risk of oesophageal cancer.
Oesophageal cancer is a cancer that’s found anywhere in the oesophagus, sometimes called the gullet or food pipe.
The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies of this association to evaluate the existing evidence.
Meta-analysis is a research process used to systematically synthesise or merge the findings of single, independent studies to arrive at a more consistent conclusion.
To do this, the researchers trawled PubMed, ISI-Web of Science, J-EAST, IndMed, Vip Chinese Periodical, and the China National Knowledge database.
A total of 34 studies were included in the analysis. The majority of subgroup analyses showed a “statistically significant” association between consuming pickled vegetables and oesophageal cancer risk, the researchers wrote.
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Subgroup analyses involve splitting all the participant data into subgroups, often so as to make comparisons between them.
“Our results suggest a potential two-fold increased risk of oesophageal cancer associated with the intake of pickled vegetables,” the researchers concluded.
However, “because the majority of data was from retrospective studies and there was a high heterogeneity in the results, further well-designed prospective studies are warranted”, they added.
The findings are not as surprising as they sound.
Foods that have been preserved by salting, such as pickled vegetables, are associated with the development of cancer, warns the World Cancer Research Fund.
According to the health body, salted vegetables have also been linked to the risk of stomach cancer.
In fact, an older study published in the British Journal of Cancer found that people who eat a regular diet of highly salted food double their risk of stomach cancer.
The study, based on around 40,000 middle-aged Japanese examined dietary, examined the impact of drinking and smoking habits over an 11-year period.
The study showed that the risk of stomach cancer for Japanese men with the lowest salt intake was one in 1000 per year. This doubled to one in 500 among those with the highest salt intake.
Oesophageal cancer – what to look for
There are many possible symptoms of oesophageal cancer, but they might be hard to spot.
According to the NHS, they can affect your digestion, such as:
- Having problems swallowing (dysphagia)
- Feeling or being sick
- Heartburn or acid reflux
- Symptoms of indigestion, such as burping a lot.
Other symptoms include:
- A cough that is not getting better
- A hoarse voice
- Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- Feeling tired or having no energy
- Pain in your throat or the middle of your chest, especially when swallowing.
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