Pronounced: Ee-sof-uh-gee-uhl Can-ser
The esophagus is the tube that runs from the mouth to the stomach. Food passes down this tube to the stomach. Esophageal cancer is the growth of cancer cells in this tube.
Cancer occurs when cells in the body divide out of control. If cells keep dividing, a mass of tissue forms. These are called growths or tumors. If the tumor is malignant, it is cancer. They can invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.
There are two main types of esophageal cancer:
Esophageal Cancer
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Factors that may increase your chance of esophageal cancer include:
Symptoms may include:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.
Tests may include:
This type of cancer can spread very early. This can make it difficult to cure. People who have risk factor, especially reflux, should talk to their doctor about screening tests. Screening tests will look for cancer in people before they have any symptoms.
Treatment may include:
Surgery may be needed to remove the tumor. Your doctor may also need to remove all or part of your esophagus. A plastic tube may be put in place of the missing esophagus.
Radiation is used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may be:
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given in many forms. It may be pills, injections, and/or catheters.
The drugs will enter the bloodstream and travels through the body. It will kill mostly cancer cells. Some healthy cells may also be killed.
Chemotherapy alone will not cure this type of cancer. It is only used when the cancer has already spread and cannot be cured. At this point it is used to help shrink the tumor, ease pain or control nausea.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy together are better than radiotherapy alone. It has also been shown that these two treatments may be as effective as surgery alone.
This is a three-step therapy. It includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. This has been shown to be a most aggressive form of therapy. It may be the best way to cure a patient of their disease.
High-intensity light may be used to try to kill cancer cells.
A combination of drugs and special lights are used to try to kill cancer cells. The medication is absorbed into the cancer cells. The special lights stimulate the medication to kill the cancer cells.
This therapy is a promising treatment. It is only appropriate in a very small number of patients. There are limits of how far the infrared light source will travel into the cancer itself. The tumor must be very small. It is also not used in cancer that has spread to any lymph nodes or other structures.
If you are diagnosed with esophageal cancer, be sure to follow your doctor's instructions.
To help prevent esophageal cancer:
RESOURCES:
American Association of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
http://www.entnet.org/
American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.ca/
Canadian Society of Otolaryngology
http://www.entcanada.org/
References:
Abeloff MD. Clinical Oncology. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, Inc.; 2000.
Casciato D., Manual of Clinical Oncology, sixth edition, Lippincot Williams and Wilkins, 2009
Far AE, Aghakhani A, Hamkar R, et al. Frequency of human papillomavirus infection in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Iranian patients. J Infect Dis 2007;39(1):58-62.
General information about esophageal cancer. National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/esophageal/Patient . Updated August 2008. Accessed July 8, 2009.
Sleisenger MH, Fordtran JS, Feldman M, Scharschmidt B. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company; 1998.
1/13/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : Wysowski DK. Reports of esophageal cancer with oral bisphosphonate use. N Engl J Med. 2009;360:89-90.
8/23/2010 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : Cardwell CR, Abnet CC, Cantwell MM, Murray LJ. Exposure to oral bisphosphonates and risk of esophageal cancer. JAMA. 2010;304(6):657-663.
Last reviewed September 2012 by Mohei Abouzied, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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