Esophageal Cancer Treatment at John Theurer Cancer Center
If you’ve been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, the John Theurer Cancer Center provides a team of thoracic cancer experts who collaborate to develop a personalized treatment plan. Our primary goal is to preserve your quality of life, including your ability to eat, drink, and speak, while effectively treating your cancer.
Our precision medicine approach ensures that your treatment plan is tailored to the specific biology of your cancer. Treatments may include surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and/or radiation therapy, all designed to give you the best possible outcome.
At John Theurer Cancer Center, our surgeons are specially trained in the most advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques for treating esophageal cancer. We aim to remove cancer while preserving essential structures that allow you to eat and talk. Your surgeon will recommend the best surgical approach based on the cancer’s location and whether it has spread.
A common procedure for esophageal cancer involves removing part of the esophagus, and if necessary, part of the stomach and nearby lymph nodes. The remaining portion of the stomach is reattached to the esophagus, allowing patients to eat normally post-surgery. Our thoracic surgeons are leaders in performing these complex surgeries.
Esophageal cancer may have genetic mutations that help it evade the immune system and continue to grow. We analyze your tumor’s genetic profile to match you with targeted therapies that best suit your cancer’s biology. Chemotherapy can be delivered intravenously or in pill form, and it is sometimes used before surgery to shrink tumors.
As a leader in immunotherapy, the John Theurer Cancer Center offers innovative treatments like checkpoint inhibitors. These drugs help the immune system target and destroy cancer cells, especially in patients with treatment-resistant cancers. Immunotherapy offers new hope for those whose cancer does not respond to traditional therapies.
Radiation oncologists at John Theurer Cancer Center use advanced radiation therapy as part of your personalized treatment plan. Radiation may be used before surgery to shrink tumors or after surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells and prevent recurrence. Our expertise includes:
- External Beam Radiation (EBRT): Used alone or with brachytherapy, depending on the aggressiveness of the cancer.
- Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT): Uses imaging before and during treatment to monitor progress and deliver the exact dose needed.
For patients whose tumors block the esophagus, a stent—a mesh-like tube—can be placed to open the passage. This allows food to pass through more easily, relieving pain and improving quality of life.
