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Esophageal cancer

Treatment

Patients with esophageal cancer should consult the best esophageal cancer treatment centers. Some of the treatments for esophageal cancer are:

  • Surgery: There are several surgical interventions available for treating esophageal cancer. The surgery can be combined with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. If cancer spreads to a considerable area in the esophagus, the surgeon may remove some or most of the esophagus. This process is known as esophagectomy. Esophagectomy may be performed through open surgery or minimally invasive surgery. The surgeon may also remove the lymph nodes through surgery. The lymph nodes are tested in the laboratory for the presence of cancer cells. It will help the oncologists to decide the treatment strategy.
  • Endoscopic treatments: The surgeon removes the small tumors from the esophagus along with a small amount of surrounding healthy tissues. The process is done through the endoscope and involves the removal of the pre-cancerous tissues. This process is known as endoscopic mucosal resection. In addition, the doctor may prescribe proton pump inhibitors to lower acid production after the surgery. Radiofrequency ablation is also recommended in patients with Barrett’s esophagus to lower the risk of esophageal cancer.
  • Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy involves the administration of anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cells. The drugs may be administered orally or through injection. In addition, the treatment can be combined with radiation therapy (chemoradiation) or surgery. When chemotherapy is administered before the surgery to shrink the tumor, it is known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. When given after the surgery to kill the remaining cancer cells, it is known as adjuvant chemotherapy. Generally, a combination of drugs is used in chemotherapy to arrest the growth of cancer cells at different stages of cell division.
  • Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy involves using high-energy radiation to damage cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be combined with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is also effective as a main treatment, along with chemotherapy, in cases where surgery is not viable.
  • Targeted therapy: Certain processes in cellular metabolism are essential for the survival of cancer cells. The drugs administered as a part of targeted therapy target those processes and kill the cancer cells.
  • Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy involves stimulating the immune system to fight against cancer cells. Immunotherapy makes the cancer cells vulnerable to attack by the immunotherapy drugs by interfering with the mechanism that helps cancer cells evade the immune system.
  • Surgery to avoid cancer complications: The doctor may perform the surgeries to relieve cancer complications. These surgeries do not treat cancer. Laser ablation uses the laser to remove the cancer tissues that are blocking the esophagus. Argon plasma coagulation uses the high-voltage spark and argon gas to destroy the cancer cells obstructing the esophagus. The doctor may also place an esophageal stent to expand the narrowed esophagus due to cancer.

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