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Esophageal Cancer Esophageal cancer is generally asymptomatic until swallowing difficulty (known as dysphagia) develops. Dysphagia is present in nearly 100% of patients with esophageal cancer, and often leads to weight loss and subsequent weakness. The esophagus is a tubular structure, joining the throat to the stomach. As esophageal cancer grows, it narrows the opening (lumen) of the esophagus, thereby producing dysphagia. Relieving dysphagia is a primary goal of treating esophageal cancer. There are many ways in which dysphagia from esophageal cancer can be treated, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and endoscopic therapy. If the cancer has not spread beyond the esophagus, surgical removal of the tumor is often the first step, producing relief of dysphagia. Sometimes surgery is preceded or followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. If the cancer cannot be surgically removed, or if the tumor has spread beyond the esophagus to other tissues (most commonly lymph nodes and/or the liver), surgery is not typically performed. There are several endoscopic methods of treating dysphagia. An endoscope (the type used in the upper gastrointestinal tract is called a gastroscope), is a lighted, flexible instrument that can be passed into the mouth, down the esophagus and into the stomach, producing a clear picture of the esophagus and stomach on a television monitor. Nearly all patients with esophageal cancer have undergone endoscopy, since this is the most common way to diagnose esophageal cancer. Endoscopic treatments of dysphagia from esophageal cancer include dilation, esophageal stents, laser and photodynamic therapy. | ||||||
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