The presenting complaint is almost invariably difficulty in swallowing solid food, whilst the ability to swallow fluids is retained until much later. Weight loss is a consequence of this difficulty in swallowing (the medical term used to describe this swallowing difficulty is dysphagia). Pain is a usually a later symptom and due to the extension of the cancer outside the oesophagus into the surrounding chest structures, although a minority of patients develop pain on swallowing with disease still localised to the oesophagus.
