Unfortunately, esophageal cancer often goes undetected until it has advanced beyond the stage where cure is possible. When cure is not possible, the goal becomes palliation , or maintaining quality of life and keeping the patient comfortable as long as possible. When esophageal cancer is found early in the course of the disease, surgery may cure the disease.
Many patients receive combination therapy, such as radiation and surgery.
The choice of treatment should be a collaborative effort among, patient, family and physician. As a patient, it is important to understand your options in order to make informed decisions. This information is, of course, not intended to take the place of your physician's advice. In advanced esophageal cancer, the tumor can partially or completely block the esophagus, making it difficult or impossible to swallow. This problem is known as dysphagia in medical terminology.