In some cases, radiation therapy is recommended for patients who cannot have surgery for other health reasons. Even if the tumor cannot be removed by surgery or destroyed entirely by radiation therapy, radiation therapy can still help relieve pain and make swallowing easier. Usually, patients receive external radiation therapy 5 days a week for several weeks. Most patients can stay at home and go to the hospital or clinic each day for this treatment. For implant radiation, patients must stay in the hospital for a short time.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells.
The doctor may suggest one drug or a combination of drugs. Chemotherapy may be used alone or combined with radiation therapy to shrink a tumor before surgery or to destroy cancer cells that remain in the body after surgery. Chemotherapy may also be used if surgery is not possible and for patients whose cancer returns after surgery or radiation therapy. A new method used to treat esophageal cancer is photodynamic therapy , the use of laser light and drugs that make the cancer cells sensitive to light so the laser can destroy them. For details about how to make an appointment at The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, click here .