Esophageal Cancer

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About 13,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with esophageal cancer each year.

Cancer that arises from the cells that form the top layer of the esophageal lining is called squamous cell carcinoma, and accounts for about half of all cancers in the esophagus. Another type of esophageal cancer -- adenocarcinoma -- develops in people with Barrett's esophagus, a condition in which cells lining the part of the esophagus near the opening of the stomach change in response to constant exposure to stomach acids.

In this section, you can find information about our expertise in treating patients with esophageal cancer, our services, and our research.

Our Approach & Expertise
The Upper Gastrointestinal Disease Management Team comprises some 30 physicians, including surgeons, medical oncologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, and pathologists.
Overview
Esophageal cancer is cancer of the esophagus, the hollow muscular tube that carries food and liquid from your throat to your stomach to be digested.
Risk Factors
Use of tobacco in any form, alcohol abuse, and Barrett's esophagus are among the risk factors for esophageal cancer.
Symptoms, Screening & Surveillance
Esophageal cancer rarely causes symptoms until the cancer is advanced.
Diagnosis
If your doctor suspects that you may have esophageal cancer, he or she may recommend that you have a barium x-ray of your upper gastrointestinal system.
Treatment
The choice of treatment for esophageal cancer depends on the stage of the disease -- that is, how large the tumor has grown, how deeply it has invaded the layers of the esophagus, and whether it has spread to nearby organs, lymph nodes, or other parts of the body.
Our Clinical Trials
A continually updated listing of Memorial Sloan-Kettering's current clinical trials for esophageal cancer.
Survivorship & Support
After your treatment is completed your doctor will continue to see you regularly. In addition, other members of your cancer care team are available to help you and your family with the physical, emotional, and social issues surrounding your cancer experience.

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