Oesophageal cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the oesophagus start to divide and grow in an uncontrolled way.
The oesophagus (also known as the gullet or food pipe) is a muscular tube that carries food from the mouth down through the chest to the stomach. The oesophagus is part of the digestive system, sometimes called the gastro-intestinal or GI tract.
There are many possible symptoms of oesophageal cancer, but they might be hard to spot. They can however, often afect your digestion.
The most common symptoms include:
- difficulty swallowing
- indigestion, including burping a lot
- heartburn or acid reflux
- feeling or being sick
- loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- a hoarse voice
- a cough that is not getting better
The most common types of oesophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, which develops in the thin, flat cells of the mucosa that lines the oesophagus and adenocarcinoma, which develops from glandular cells.
Other types of oesophageal cancer include:
- neuroendocrine cancer, including small cell cancer
- soft tissue sarcomas, i.e. gastro-intestinal stromal tumours (GISTs)
- oesophageal melanoma
Treatment for oesophageal cancer at CUH
The treatment you have depends on several factors, which include:
- the type and size of the cancer
- where the cancer is located in the oesophagus
- your general health
- whether the cancer has spread
A team of specialists at CUH will meet to discuss your condition and to make a recommendation about the best possible treatment for you.
You, along with your clinician, will then discuss your treatment recommendations at the clinic appointment and decide on the right treatment plan for you. Your clinician will explain the different treatment options and possible side effects.
Oesophageal cancer is often treatable, but can be difficult to treat.
The treatment for oesophageal cancer can include:
- endoscopic therapy
- surgery
- systemic therapy
- radiotherapy
- targeted therapy
- immunotherapy
Endoscopic therapy may be offered for patients with early-stage oesophageal cancer, due to the low risk of cancer spreading to lymph nodes. This treatment method involves directly removing or destroying the abnormal tissue inside the oesophagus without the need for major surgery.
You may also be able to have surgery to remove cancer, if your oesophageal cancer is found early and it has not spread. Surgery will remove part or, in a small number of people, most of the oesophagus. The surgeon may also need to remove parts of other organs around the oesophagus, such as the top of the stomach. Recovery from surgery to treat oesophageal cancer can take a long time.
At times, you may require more than one treatment or a combination of different treatments to give the best chance of long-term cure. For some patients, treatment may be given with the aim of curing the cancer. For others, to help control the cancer, prolong life and improve symptoms. Your clinical team will discuss with you what to expect.