The treatment of esophageal cancer is complicated and often requires a team approach. At NewYork-Presbyterian, the members of your healthcare team work together to ensure that you receive cutting-edge, comprehensive care in a compassionate and comfortable setting. We specialize in the treatment of esophageal cancer using interventional endoscopy, minimally invasive surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapy, and precise radiation therapy.
How is Esophageal Cancer Diagnosed?
DiagnosisDoctors and oncologists utilize various methods to determine an esophageal cancer diagnosis, beginning with a physical exam. Your doctor will inquire about your symptoms and personal and familial medical history during the physical exam. They may order one or more of the following tests or procedures to diagnose esophageal cancer:
- Barium swallow (X-ray) - You will swallow a thick, chalky liquid called barium that coats the esophagus. The barium will stand out on an X-ray image, allowing a doctor to see any changes in the esophageal tissue.
- Endoscopy - A flexible scope with a camera is passed down your throat and into the esophagus. Looking at a monitor, a doctor can examine the esophagus for irritation or cancerous growth. A mild sedative injection may be given to make the patient more comfortable.
- Biopsy - During an endoscopy, a tissue sample from the esophagus can be taken and sent to a pathologist to determine the presence of cancerous cells
- CT scans and MRIs – Imaging tests that can monitor a tumor's growth rate and determine if the cancer has spread to other body areas
How is Esophageal Cancer Treated?
TreatmentsDoctors will recommend a course of esophageal cancer treatments based on the type of cancer cells you have, your health status, and your comfort levels. Treatments can include noninvasive and invasive surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, clinical trials, or a combination.
Minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer
Initial symptoms of esophageal cancer can go unnoticed and, once diagnosed, may already be in an advanced stage. Surgery to remove the the cancer is the most common esophageal cancer treatment.
At NewYork-Presbyterian, our goal is to use minimally invasive surgery whenever possible to reduce your healing time, using procedures such as:
- Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) - EUS involves using a special endoscope with high-energy sound waves (echoendoscope) to visualize your digestive tract and nearby organs and evaluate esophageal tumors and nearby lymph nodes
- Endoscopic tissue removal - Endoscopists and surgeons can perform endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) to remove early cancerous esophageal tissue of various shapes and depths
- Ablation - Precancerous changes can be treated with heat from radio waves (radiofrequency ablation) that can destroy the tumor
- Esophageal stent - Esophageal blockages can be treated with a stent—an inserted mesh tube that can widen the esophageal opening, allowing food to pass
- Cryotherapy - An endoscopist uses a super-cooled liquid or gas to freeze abnormal cells before removing them. Cryotherapy can also be beneficial to control bleeding from esophageal tumors in some patients.
Doctors use approaches such as laparoscopy or video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) for early-stage and advanced esophageal cancers. Scopes and small instruments placed through small incisions in the chest and abdomen can detect and remove esophageal cancer.
Surgery/esophagectomy
If less invasive procedures are not possible, qualified thoracic surgeons can perform esophageal cancer operations for advanced conditions, including an esophagectomy. An esophagectomy is a procedure where all or most of the esophagus and the surrounding tissue may be removed.
Recovery time after an esophagectomy can be extensive, requiring a lengthy hospital stay. At NewYork-Presbyterian, we have developed caring, post-surgical programs catered to the individual to support and accelerate your recovery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. It can be administered in pill form or through an IV drip. Chemotherapy is occasionally used before esophageal surgery to help shrink the tumor and destroy any remaining cancer afterward. It is frequently combined with radiation therapy to treat esophageal cancer.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy eradicates cancer cells with high doses of radiation, administered by an external machine or from inside the body. You may receive radiation therapy before or after esophageal cancer surgery and in conjunction with chemotherapy treatments.
NewYork-Presbyterian practices precision radiation therapy—using 3D imaging to shape and target high doses of radiation directly to your tumor, killing cancer cells while sparing nearby healthy tissue. Small catheters may be threaded to the site of your tumor to deliver a high, pinpointed dose of radiation.
Clinical Trials
Clinical TrialsSome esophageal cancer patients may be eligible to participate in promising new forms of cancer treatments. NewYork-Presbyterian is currently evaluating immunotherapy for esophageal cancer, which harnesses the power of your immune system to fight cancer. Your treatment team will let you know if you are eligible to receive an innovative investigational treatment by participating in a clinical trial.
FAQs
Trust NewYork-Presbyterian for Esophageal Cancer Treatment
The doctors and oncologists at NewYork-Presbyterian are here to deliver cutting-edge esophageal cancer treatments in a compassionate setting. We unite specialists from multi-disciplinary clinics and tumor boards to help develop your customized treatment plan. From diagnosing your symptoms to advanced esophageal cancer procedures, we treat cancer and the whole individual, providing relief from cancer treatment side effects.
NewYork-Presbyterian is here to support you in your fight against cancer. Contact us to make an appointment with one of our cancer specialists.