Esophageal Cancer
Cancer of the esophagus is a rare cancer in our country, accounting for only about one percent of all cancers.
X-rays and other tests will help your doctor confirm your diagnosis and whether other organs or lymph nodes are affected.
The patient will probably have an esophagram, which is a series of X-rays of the esophagus produced after they swallow a barium
solution.
Most patients also have a test called an esophagoscopy. In this procedure, the patient's throat is sprayed with a local anesthetic
and then a thin, flexible, lighted tube is passed down the throat so the doctor can examine the lining of the esophagus and
the place where it joins the stomach. If an abnormal area is found, the doctor does a biopsy or brushes some cells from the
walls of the esophagus.
A physical exam, with special attention to the neck and chest, along with blood tests and additional X-rays can also help
the doctor determine whether the cancer has spread to areas around the esophagus.
