Esophageal Cancer Treatment
Treatment for esophageal cancer depends on the size and location of the tumor, symptoms and general health status. You can perform various treatments and treatment combinations. Your team may include a surgeon, a gastroenterologist (a specialist in diagnosing and treating diseases of the digestive system), oncologist (specialist in cancer treatment) and a radiation oncologist (specialist in using radiation to treat cancer). Perhaps you ordered other tests before treatment is begun to determine the function of the heart and kidneys.
Here are the treatments for esophageal cancer:
- Surgery to remove the tumor and affected tissues is the best option to cure esophageal cancer. Generally, the surgeon removes all or a portion of the esophagus and surrounding lymph nodes to prevent the cancer from spreading continue. At times, removed the upper stomach. The surgeon uses the remaining portion of the stomach or part of the intestine to reconnect the digestive tract so you can swallow. This is an extensive surgery and requires the patient can tolerate this intervention. Recently, modifications have begun to consider using minimally invasive techniques in an appropriate patient. Another important consideration is to select an institution or a surgeon who has performed many operations for esophageal cancer. You can reduce complications when treatment is performed in hospitals that operate many of these cases.
- Chemotherapy can be administered cancer drugs, usually given intravenously (into a vein) to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be combined with radiation therapy. There are many new chemotherapeutic agents and other chemical treatments that have been built in the last five years and that somehow promise an increase in success rates.
- Radiation therapy: This treatment uses high energy rays to kill cancer cells. The radiation can be generated by a machine outside the body (external radiation) or by radioactive elements placed at or near the tumor (internal radiation). Radiation therapy may be performed instead of surgery, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, especially if the size or location of the tumor makes the surgery. Radiation therapy can be combined with chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery. If the tumor can be surgically removed or destroyed with radiation therapy, radiation can help relieve pain and make swallowing easier.
In general, determining whether or not to surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, alone or in combination, will ultimately depend on the stage of the cancer as determined by the tests described above.
When taking a decision regarding the best treatment, the team will assess the benefits of surgery and the risks of this risky operation, which has several possible complications. For many people, radiation therapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy can offer the same chance of survival than surgery. There are also other options to improve symptoms, including:
- A stent (small mesh) placed inside the esophagus. This is performed to derive the obstruction due to cancer, which allows the patient to eat normally.
- a laser to shrink the tumor, which can prevent blockage and improve swallowing
- a simple surgery in which nasogastric tubes are inserted into the stomach or intestines for food and to avoid problems with swallowing.