Esophageal Cancer

Signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer include:

• Trouble eating
• Weight loss without working
• Chest pain, stress or burning
• Worsening indigestion or heartburn
• Coughing or hoarseness

Early esophageal cancer typically causes no signs or symptoms.

If your doctor finds something different in screening or you have any of the signs of Esophageal cancer, further tests will be required to diagnose the condition.

• Biopsy: Your surgeon may use a specific scope moved down your throat into your esophagus to get a sample of suspicious tissue. The tissue sample is sent to a lab to look for tumor cells.
• Blood Tests: This test measures the various kinds of cells in your blood. It can show if you have anemia. Some people with esophageal cancer become weak because the tumor has been bleeding.
• Imaging: Imaging tests use x-rays, magnetic fields, sound waves, or radioactive substances produce pictures of the inside of your body. Imaging experiments might be taken for many purposes, such as:

1. To help find a suspicious range that might be cancer
2. To learn if and how far the cancer has grown
3. To help decide if the treatment is working
4. To look for possible symptoms of cancer coming back after treatment

• Esophagoscopy: This method allows the doctor to view the esophagus straight through an esophagoscope, a small, tube-like tool with a light and a lens. The esophagoscope is entered through the mouth or nose and down the throat into the esophagus. Some esophagoscopes are equipped with tools to extract tissue samples for the test under a microscope for signs of cancer.

• • Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS): In this method, an endoscope, a tiny, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing, is entered through the mouth. A probe at the end of the endoscope is used to bounce high-energy sound waves off internal tissues or organs to create echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. This method is also called endosonography.

Stage I: A stage I esophageal cancer tumor is little (7 cm or less across) and limited to the esophagus.

Stage II: A stage II esophageal cancer tumor has grown larger, but still lives within the esophagus.At this stage of the disease, there is no indication of spread to lymph nodes or different sites.

Stage III: A stage III esophageal cancer tumor has spread beyond the esophagus and may now spread into nearby muscles or organs. Cancer may or may not have grown to nearby lymph joints.

Stage IV: A stage IV esophageal cancer tumor may be any size and has grown beyond the esophagus. In this stage of esophageal cancer, the disease may have developed to lymph nodes or different sites like the liver or abdominal cavity.

Surgeons can treat Esophageal Cancer with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and drugs. The treatment you get will depend on:

• Which type of tumor you have and how many there are
• Whether it’s harmful
• If it has expanded to different sections of your body

Surgery to remove very small tumors. If your tumor is very small, limited to the surface layers of your esophagus and hasn’t grown, your doctor may recommend removing cancer and the edge of normal tissue that surrounds it. Surgery can be done using an endoscope passed under your esophagus and into your esophagus.

Surgery to remove a part of the esophagus.  While an esophagectomy, your surgeon extracts the section of your esophagus that includes the tumor, along with a part of the top part of your stomach, and nearby lymph nodes. The remaining esophagus is reconnected to your stomach. Normally, this is achieved by picking the stomach up to reach the remaining esophagus.

Surgery to withdraw part of your esophagus and the upper part of your abdomen. During esophagogastrectomy, your doctor extracts the portion of your esophagus, nearby lymph nodes and a greater part of your stomach. The remainder of your abdomen is then pulled up and reattached to your esophagus. If important, part of your colon is used to help connect the 2.

Radiation

This method uses high-energy X-rays to destroy tumor cells. You might get this procedure if your tumor has grown or if it’s in a place that doctors can’t reach with surgery.

Most of the time, you’ll get this procedure from a machine outside your body. In some cases, your surgeon can put radiation implants near tumors inside your body.

Chemotherapy

 It uses drugs to remove cancer cells or to prevent them from growing. You take them by mouth, or a surgeon injects them into one of your veins.

Drugs are typically used before or later surgery in people with esophageal cancer. Chemotherapy can also be mixed with radiation therapy. In people with difficult cancer that has grown beyond the esophagus, chemotherapy may be used alone to help relieve signs and symptoms produced by cancer.

Targeted therapy

 It uses drugs that hit certain genes on tumor cells to destroy cancer. This treatment limits damage to the healthy cells in your body, which can occur with radiation or chemotherapy.

Your surgeon will decide which drug is best for you by examining cells from your tumor first.

Specialized Esophageal Cancer Treatments

With Laparoscopic surgery, Prolife offers unique options. Our globally renowned team of physicians shows your treatment for the most benefit while reducing the impact on your body.

Dr. Sumit Shah is expertise in treating esophageal Cancer that has spread to other sections of the body. We offer Laparoscopic surgery program & as well as chemotherapy and targeted therapy options.

Healing from Surgery

Most people who have esophageal cancer surgery heal without any problems. These people go home within 2-to-4 days. A fewer number of patients may have a slower recovery and need to wait for a little more.

A surgeon will give you guidance on how to take care of yourself, including your surgery, bathing, driving, and sexual activity. There will be information about yourself:

• Diet
• Exercise
• Pain medicine

After Treatment, you will be given a Daily Goals Checklist. Use that checklist to understand how you are doing every day.

Your Daily Goals Checklist

While you are in the hospital, you will have regular aims to help you recover. These aims include:

• Getting out of bed and being active
• Eating and drinking
• Controlling your pain

At Prolife Cancer Center, your esophageal cancer treatment is personalized to give the best results, while concentrating on your quality of life. We offer minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries that provide successful treatment with less impact on you.