Treatment for esophageal cancer can be curative or palliative(symptoms control)

Curative treatment

This is for early disease that is locally invasive disease that has not invaded surrounding structures.

Methods

1.Neoadjuvant chemoradiation

This means treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy before the operation or surgery.

2.Surgical resection

Endoscopic submucosal resection for removal of superficial,epithelial lesions.

Subtotal or total esophagectomy with gastric pull-through procedure or colonic interposition.

Esophagectomy is a surgical procedure that removes a  part or the complete esophagus and subsequently creates an anastomosis(link)between the proximal esophagus and the stomach either directly or using a part of the colon as interposition

Palliative treatment(symptom control)

Indication -patients with advanced disease(majority of the patients)

Methods

Chemoradiation-chemotherapy and radiotherapy to assist in symptom control

Stent placement– a mesh inserted in the esophagus to keep it open to help in passage of food for patients with difficulty in swallowing.