Outstanding cancer care requires an unparalleled team. Our specialists in medical oncology, chemotherapy, radiation medicine, pathology and radiology all work and consult together to deliver you the most effective treatments.
People with less advanced esophageal cancer may qualify for surgery. Esophagectomy is one type of surgery that is used, which involves removing a part of the esophagus and sometimes a portion of the stomach. After the cancer is removed, the esophagus is reconnected to the stomach. Your surgeon may also remove nearby lymph nodes.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells. It’s often used along with surgery or chemotherapy to treat esophageal cancer.
Endoscopic treatments involve a surgeon passing down an endoscope into the esophagus to treat early esophageal cancers. Your physician may recommend endoscopic mucosal resection to remove a piece of the inner lining of the esophagus. After surgery, you’ll take medications to suppress acid production and help prevent the cancer from returning.
Chemotherapy uses drugs given through a vein or by mouth to destroy cancer cells.
Targeted drugs work against specific cell changes that cause cancer in the body. Your physician may recommend drugs that target HER2, a protein that helps cancer cells grow. Or you may need drugs that target new blood vessel formation or abnormal gene fusion.
Immunotherapy uses medicines that help a person’s immune system fight cancer.
