Esophageal Cancer Treatment & Procedures

Why Choose Houston Methodist for Esophageal Cancer Treatment

The highly skilled medical oncologists and thoracic surgeons at Houston Methodist offer the most advanced esophageal cancer treatments available. Our goal is to provide an effective treatment plan that also preserves healthy tissue and cells.

Depending on your specific esophageal cancer, your care team may use one or more of the following esophageal cancer treatment options:

Surgery

Surgery is the most common treatment for cancer of the esophagus. The tumor (and sometimes part of the esophagus) may be removed, and reconstructive surgery used to restore form and function lost due to esophageal cancer or esophageal cancer treatment. Whenever possible, our experts use less invasive procedures, including minimally invasive esophagectomy, to remove the cancer — allowing for faster recovery and better outcomes.

Radiation

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to destroy esophageal cancer cells. Most often, radiation therapy for esophageal cancer is delivered externally via a machine. In advanced cases, however, brachytherapy may also be used to treat esophageal cancer. In this case, radioactive material is delivered using an endoscope and deposited directly into or very near the cancer.

Chemotherapy 

Chemotherapy uses drugs, taken orally or intravenously by IV, to stop the growth of esophageal cancer cells. Regional chemotherapy may place the chemotherapy drug directly into the area where the cancer is present. The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Chemoradiation

Chemoradiation therapy combines chemotherapy and radiation therapy to increase the effects of both.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy destroys esophageal cancer cells using newer drugs that target specific features of esophageal cancers, such as excessive HER2 protein on the cancer cell surface, for instance.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy can be used to treat esophageal cancer in some cases, particularly with advanced cancers that can't be treated using conventional options of surgery and chemoradiation therapy.

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy is a cancer treatment that uses a laser beam (a narrow beam of intense light) to kill cancer cells.

Electrocoagulation

Electrocoagulation is the use of an electric current to kill cancer cells.