• Skip to main content
Search
  • Home
  • Services
      • Behavioral Health
      • Bloodless Medicine
      • Brain & Spine
      • Cancer Care
      • Ear, Nose and Throat
      • Emergency Care
      • Geriatric Care
      • Heart & Vascular Care
      • Home Health Care
      • Medical Imaging
      • Minimally Invasive Surgery
      • Orthopedics
      • Pregnancy & Childbirth
      • Primary Care
      • Rehabilitation Services
      • Weight Loss Surgery
      • Wound Healing & Care
      • Women's Health
  • Doctors
      • Find a Primary Care Doctor
      • Find a Doctor
      • Physician Referral
      • Practices:

        Baptist Primary Care
      • Baptist AgeWell
      • Baptist Behavioral Health
      • Baptist Endocrinology
      • Baptist ENT Specialists
      • Baptist Heart Specialists
      • Baptist Infectious Diseases
      • Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Physicians
      • Baptist Neurology
      • Baptist Pulmonary Specialists (Nassau)
      • Baptist Rheumatology
      • Baptist Urology Group (Nassau)
      • Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute
      • Lyerly Neurosurgery
  • Locations
    • Our Hospitals:

      • Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
      • Baptist Medical Center South
      • Baptist Medical Center Beaches
      • Baptist Medical Center Nassau
      • Baptist Heart Hospital
      • Wolfson Children's Hospital

      Imaging Centers:

      • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
      • Mammography and Bone Density
      • Medical Imaging

      Freestanding Emergency Centers:

      • Baptist Emergency at Clay
      • Baptist Emergency at North
      • Baptist Emergency at Town Center

      Urgent Care Locations:

      • Baptist Health Clinics at Walgreens
      • CareSpot Urgent Care

      Health & Wellness:

      • 4her Center for Women
      • JCA Wellness Connexion
      • Y Healthy Living Centers

      Outpatient Locations:

      • AgeWell Center for Senior Health
      • Baptist Clay Medical Campus
      • Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center
      • Baptist Neurodiagnostic Center
      • Baptist North Medical Campus
      • Cardiac Testing Centers
      • Hill Breast Center
      • Infusion Center
      • Pharmacy
      • Rehabilitation Centers
      • Robotic Spine Surgery
      • Sleep Centers
      • Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center
      • Surgery Centers
      • Wound Care
  • Patient Info
      • Billing & Insurance Information
      • Insurance Plans Accepted
      • Cost Estimate Request
      • Financial Assistance Program
      • My Baptist Connect (Patient Portal)
      • Medical Records
      • Classes and Events
      • Clinical Trials
      • Tell Us What You Think
  • Health Library
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Symptoms
      • Tests
      • Surgeries and Procedures
      • Injuries
      • Nutrition
      • Poison
      • Drug Information
      • Drug Images
      • Health News
      • Video Library
  • About Us
      • Administration
      • Awards & Honors
      • Careers
      • Provider Opportunities
      • Baptist MD Anderson Provider Opportunities
      • Spiritual Care
      • Social Responsibility
      • Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)
      • Corporate Wellness (PATH)
      • Volunteering
      • Newsroom
  • Juice
      • Health News Overview:

      • Brain, Spine & Nerve
      • Cancer
      • Child Health
      • Community Health
      • Heart & Vascular
      • Mental Health
      • Orthopedics, Bones & Muscles
      • Pregnancy & Childbirth
      • Primary Care
      • Wellness
      • Women's Health
  1. Home
  2. Health Library
  3. Diseases and Conditions
  4. Esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer

Diseases and Conditions
Cancer - esophagus

Esophageal cancer is cancer that starts in the esophagus. This is the tube through which food moves from the mouth to the stomach.

Esophageal cancer is not common in the United States. It occurs most often in men over 50 years old.

There are two main types of esophageal cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. These two types look different from each other under the microscope.

Squamous cell esophageal cancer is linked to smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

Adenocarcinoma is the more common type of esophageal cancer. Having Barrett esophagus increases the risk of this type of cancer. Acid reflux disease (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) can develop into Barrett esophagus. Other risk factors include smoking, being male, or being obese.

Symptoms

Symptoms may include any of the following:

  • Backward movement of food through the esophagus and possibly mouth (regurgitation)
  • Chest pain not related to eating
  • Difficulty swallowing solids or liquids
  • Heartburn
  • Vomiting blood
  • Weight loss

Exams and Tests

Tests used to help diagnose esophageal cancer may include:

  • Series of x-rays taken to examine the esophagus (barium swallow)
  • Chest MRI or thoracic CT (usually used to help determine the stage of the disease)
  • Endoscopic ultrasound (also sometimes used to determine the stage of disease)
  • Test to examine and remove a sample of the lining of the esophagus (esophagogastroduodenoscopy, EGD)
  • PET scan (sometimes useful for determining the stage of disease, and whether surgery is possible)

Stool testing may show small amounts of blood in the stool.

Treatment

EGD will be used to obtain a tissue sample from the esophagus to diagnose cancer.

When the cancer is only in the esophagus and has not spread, surgery will be done. The cancer and part, or all, of the esophagus is removed. The surgery may be done using:

  • Open surgery, during which 1 or 2 larger incisions are made.
  • Minimally invasive surgery, during which a 2 to 4 small incisions are made in the belly. A laparoscope with a tiny camera is inserted into the belly through one of the incisions.

Radiation therapy may also be used instead of surgery in some cases when the cancer has not spread outside the esophagus.

Either chemotherapy, radiation, or both may be used to shrink the tumor and make surgery easier to perform.

If the person is too ill to have major surgery or the cancer has spread to other organs, chemotherapy or radiation may be used to help reduce symptoms. This is called palliative therapy. In such cases, the disease is usually not curable.

Besides a change in diet, other treatments that may be used to help the patient swallow include:

  • Dilating (widening) the esophagus using an endoscope. Sometimes a stent is placed to keep the esophagus open.
  • A feeding tube into the stomach.
  • Photodynamic therapy, in which a special drug is injected into the tumor and is then exposed to light. The light activates the medicine that attacks the tumor.

Support Groups

You can ease the stress of illness by joining a cancer support group. Sharing with others who have common experiences and problems can help you not feel alone

Outlook (Prognosis)

When the cancer has not spread outside the esophagus, surgery may improve the chance of survival.

When the cancer has spread to other areas of the body, a cure is generally not possible. Treatment is directed toward relieving symptoms.

Possible Complications

Complications may include:

  • Pneumonia
  • Severe weight loss from not eating enough

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your health care provider if you have difficulty swallowing with no known cause and it does not get better. Also call if you have other symptoms of esophageal cancer.

Prevention

To reduce your risk of cancer of the esophagus:

  • DO NOT smoke.
  • Limit or DO NOT drink alcoholic beverages.
  • Get checked by your doctor if you have severe GERD.
  • Get regular checkups if you have Barrett esophagus.

References

Kleinberg L, Kelly R, Yang S, Wang JS, Forastiere AA. Cancer of the esophagus. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2014:chap 74.

National Cancer Institute website. Esophageal cancer treatment (PDQ) - health professional version. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/esophageal/HealthProfessional. Updated February 2, 2017. Accessed August 2, 2017.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network website. NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology (NCCN guidelines): esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancers. Version 1.2017. www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/esophageal.pdf. Updated March 21, 2017. Accessed August, 2017.

BACK TO TOP

Review Date: 7/10/2017

Reviewed By: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

 
 
 

 

 

A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Fire Fox and Google Chrome browser.
Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Fire Fox and Google Chrome browser.

Related Information

  • Alcohol use and safe drinking

  • Barrett esophagus

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease

  • Esophagectomy - minimally invasive

  • Esophagectomy - open

  • Gastrostomy feeding tube - bolus

  • Jejunostomy feeding tube

  • Esophagectomy - discharge

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease and heartburn

Daily Health and Medical News

Results for cancer, cancer - esophagus, esophageal, esophageal cancer, esophagus

  • HPV Infections Most Tied to Cancer Are in Decline, and Vaccines May Be Why
    February 21, 2019

  • Are Primary Care Doctors Prepared to Discuss Cancer Treatment?
    February 20, 2019

  • Should You Get Tested for the 'Breast Cancer Genes'?
    February 19, 2019

  • Kidney Failure Patients Face Higher Risk of Cancer Death
    February 14, 2019

  • Despite Gains, Black Americans Still Have Highest Cancer Death Rate
    February 14, 2019

© Copyright 2019 | All Rights Reserved

If you speak another language, assistance services
free of charge, are available to you.

Baptist Health Facebook Baptist Health Twitter Baptist Health on LinkedIn Baptist Health on Instagram Baptist Health on Youtube
Physician Login | Application Login | Employee Login
Quality Measures | Privacy | Non-Discrimination | Comments | Site Map