Treatment

Treatment for esophageal cancer depends on the stage. Surgery is the most common treatment for esophageal cancer. There are two surgical techniques:

• Esophagectomy: The cancerous portions of the esophagus and neighboring lymph nodes are removed.
• Radical esophagectomy: The entire esophagus and the top portion of the stomach are removed.

Chemotherapy, the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, is most often combined with radiation therapy. Photodynamic therapy: laser-sensitive chemicals are injected into the tumor site. A laser beam then targets the chemicals to destroy the tumor.