Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer typically starts in the lining of the esophagus. The two most common types of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.

In many patients, cancers of the esophagus are discovered because of the symptoms they cause, such as difficulty swallowing and weight loss, among others. Diagnosing people who haven't experienced any symptoms is rare and often accidental from tests done for other medical problems. Most esophageal cancers do not cause symptoms in patients until they have reached an advanced stage.

Diagnosing esophageal cancer may include an upper endoscopy, barium swallow with X-ray, CT scan, MRI, and endoscopic ultrasound to determine stage and location of the tumor(s).

The main treatment options for patients with esophageal cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Other palliative treatments, such as mechanical stents and photodynamic therapy, are used in cases where tumors cannot be removed. Depending on the stage of the cancer and the patient's general medical condition, more than one treatment may be used at the same time.