An alternative is to instill a tube through the esophagus to enable the patient to swallow comfortably. Radiation therapy can be used to shrink a tumor before surgery, or to destroy any stray cancer cells after surgery. Radiation may also be used instead of surgery. Most often, external beam radiation is used. Some patients may benefit from radioactive material placed directly in the tumor, or implant radiation.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to treat cancer.
The drugs, which may be given orally or intravenously, travel through the circulatory system to all parts of the body. Chemotherapy may be given alone or combined with radiation therapy to reduce the size of a tumor before surgery, or to destroy cancer cells that remain in the body after surgery. A combination of drugs is often used to attack cancer cells in different ways. Outlook Patients may consider participating in clinical trials evaluating new approaches to treatment, including promising chemotherapy combinations. Patients should try to be as well informed as possible.