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Esophageal burning is often caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). And roughly 30 percent of adults experience symptoms about once a month, says Chemocare.com. In GERD, stomach acid can back up into the esophagus from high acid diets, in which citrus, fat and caffeine, among other problem foods, are consumed. Reflux can also occur when the esophageal valve that prevents acid from traveling up the esophagus becomes weak. What's more, GERD can result from the administration of chemotherapy drugs, reports BreastCancer.org. But relief is relatively easy to achieve.
To understand esophageal cancer, you must first look at the esophagus--a 10 to 13-inch long tube that carries food and liquid down the throat and into the stomach. The walls of the esophagus have several layers. The mucosa layer is the one that lines the inside of your throat and esophagus. The layer beneath that is the submucosa. Beneath the submucosa is a thick layer of muscle band called the muscularis propria. And finally, the outermost layer is the adventitia, formed by connective tissue.
