Electrocoagulation is the use of an electric current to kill cancer cells. This summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials. It may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website. Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells.
Targeted therapies usually cause less harm to normal cells than chemotherapy or radiation therapy do. Monoclonal antibody therapy is a type of targeted therapy used in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Monoclonal antibodies are immune system proteins made in the laboratory to treat many diseases, including cancer.
As a cancer treatment, these antibodies can attach to a specific target on cancer cells or other cells that may help cancer cells grow. The antibodies are able to then kill the cancer cells, block their growth, or keep them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies are given by infusion. They may be used alone or to carry drugs, toxins , or radioactive material directly to cancer cells. Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody being studied in esophageal cancer. It may be given to block the effect of the growth factor protein HER2 , which sends growth signals to esophageal cancer cells.
How do monoclonal antibodies work to treat cancer? For information about side effects caused by treatment for cancer, see our Side Effects page. For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice.
Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.
Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment. Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Clinical trials supported by other organizations can be found on the ClinicalTrials. Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working.
Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests. Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred come back. These tests are sometimes called follow-up tests or check-ups. For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of stage 0 may include the following:. Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available. Treatment of stage I esophageal squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma may include the following:.
Treatment of stage II esophageal squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma may include the following:. Treatment of stage III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma may include the following:. Treatment of stage IV esophageal squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma may include the following:.
Treatment of recurrent esophageal cancer may include the following:. For more information from the National Cancer Institute about esophageal cancer, see the following:.
For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, see the following:. The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries come in two versions.
The health professional versions have detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions have cancer information that is accurate and up to date and most versions are also available in Spanish.
The PDQ summaries are based on an independent review of the medical literature. This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the treatment of adult esophageal cancer. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care. Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer.
The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary "Updated" is the date of the most recent change. The information in this patient summary was taken from the health professional version, which is reviewed regularly and updated as needed, by the PDQ Adult Treatment Editorial Board.
A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and how well it works.
If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard.
Clinical trials can be found online at NCI's website. PDQ is a registered trademark. The content of PDQ documents can be used freely as text. It cannot be identified as an NCI PDQ cancer information summary unless the whole summary is shown and it is updated regularly.
If you want to use an image from a PDQ summary and you are not using the whole summary, you must get permission from the owner. It cannot be given by the National Cancer Institute. Information about using the images in this summary, along with many other images related to cancer can be found in Visuals Online. Visuals Online is a collection of more than 3, scientific images. The information in these summaries should not be used to make decisions about insurance reimbursement.
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Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Esophagus Open pop-up dialog box Close. Esophagus The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects your mouth and your stomach.
Esophageal cancer Open pop-up dialog box Close. Esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer most often occurs in the cells that line the inside of the esophagus.
Email address. First Name let us know your preferred name. Last Name. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth coping with cancer guide will be in your inbox shortly. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancers. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Accessed Dec.
Niederhuber JE, et al. Cancer of the esophagus. Esophageal Cancer Diagnosis. Treatment for Esophageal Cancer. Living Beyond Esophageal Cancer. Esophageal Cancer Experts. Adenocarcinoma Adenocarcinoma is the most common form of esophageal cancer in the United States, making up more than half of all new cases.
Recent studies have shown that treating acid reflux reduces the risk of esophageal cancer. Squamous Cell Carcinoma The second most common form of esophageal cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. Adenocarcinomas are often found in the lower third of the esophagus lower thoracic esophagus.
In some conditions, such as Barrett's esophagus , gland cells begin to replace the squamous cells in the lower part of the esophagus, and this might lead to adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinomas that start at the area where the esophagus joins the stomach the GE junction, which includes about the first 2 inches 5 cm of the stomach , tend to behave like cancers in the esophagus and are treated like them, as well.
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