Even if the tumor cannot be removed by surgery or destroyed entirely by radiation therapy, radiation therapy can often help relieve pain and make swallowing easier. Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. The anticancer drugs used to treat esophageal cancer travel throughout the body. Anticancer drugs used to treat esophageal cancer are usually given by injection into a vein. Chemotherapy may be combined with radiation therapy as primary treatment or to shrink the tumor before surgery.
Laser therapy is the use of high intensity light to destroy tumor cells.
Laser therapy affects the cells only in the treated area. The doctor may use laser therapy to destroy cancerous tissue and relieve a blockage in the esophagus when the cancer cannot be removed by surgery. The relief of a blockage can help to reduce symptoms, especially swallowing problems. The doctor may use PDT to relieve symptoms of esophageal cancer such as difficulty swallowing. Clinical trials are research studies to evaluate new ways to treat cancer.