Esophageal cancer account for only 1% of the cancers diagnosed in the United States.
“It’s an uncommon cancer,” says Dr. Shanda Blackmon, a Mayo Clinic general thoracic surgeon. “But it’s one of the deadliest cancers we know.”
This year more than 22,000 Americans will be diagnosed the disease, and there will be more than 16,000 deaths related to esophageal cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.
While the rates of developing the disease have been steady, over the past several decades we’ve seen a rise.
Here are some facts you should know about esophageal cancer:
- It’s more common in men than women.
- It becomes more common as a person ages.
- The average age at the time someone is diagnosed is 69.
- Nine out of 10 cases are diagnosed in those older than 55.
- There is no common screening for esophageal cancer.
Causes of esophageal cancer
- Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption
- Barrett esophagus a serious complication of chronic acid reflux (GERD) increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer.
- While rare, it can also be caused by drinking extremely hot liquids, like coffee and tea
Symptoms of esophageal cancer
- Signs of the disease include weight loss, painful or difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, persistent or nagging cough, indigestion and heartburn or pain behind the breastbone.
- If you experience any of these symptoms, while they’re likely to be something else, go see your doctor.
Survival rates of esophageal cancer
- Early detection improves your chances of survival.
- The five-year relative survival rate of those diagnosed with all stages of esophageal cancer, which compares those with esophageal cancer to people in the overall population, is 22%. When caught before it spreads, the five-year relative survival rate is 49%. Once it spreads regionally the rate is 28%. And if it spreads to distant parts of the body, the rate is 5%.
- Esophageal cancer is hard to treat because it is often diagnosed at a later stage.
- Another reason it’s difficult to treat is because it’s less common than other cancers.
Testing for Esophageal Cancer
To diagnose esophageal cancer doctors typically take chest x-rays and preform what’s called an esophagoscopy, to look for any abnormalities inside the esophagus and remove tissue samples for biopsy.
If the disease is diagnosed, endoscopic ultrasound, CT scans, PET scans and MRI can be used to determine if the cancer has spread or is localized.
According to Cancer Research UK, the liver is the most common place for esophageal cancer to spread, but it can also spread to the lungs, lymph nodes and bones.
Esophageal Cancer Treatment
Treating esophageal cancer depends on the type of cancer, the stage, a patient’s age and a patient’s overall health. While surgery is the most common treatment, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, laser therapy, and standard radiation or a combination of these treatments can also be used.
When it comes to radiation, doctors either use internal radiation therapy, where sealed radioactive materials are placed directly into or near the cancer, or standard external radiation therapy, where radiation outside the body is directed toward the cancer site.
Another form of external beam radiation used to treat metastatic esophageal cancer is image guided radiosurgery treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT using CyberKnife.
Metastatic meaning that the cancer has spread, causing tumors to develop in other parts of the body.
Most often it spreads to the liver, but it can spread anywhere in the body.
To be clear, at CyberKnife Miami we DO NOT treat esophageal cancer that is “Self-contained,” which generally refers to the earliest stage of the disease, known as Stage 0 or carcinoma in situ, where abnormal (cancer) cells are confined to the top, superficial layer of cells lining the esophagus. The cancer has not grown into deeper tissue layers, muscle, or spread to any lymph nodes or distant organs.
But we do treat cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes, liver, brain, lungs, spine, almost anywhere in the body.
CyberKnife for Metastatic Esophageal Cancer
CyberKnife’s missile guidance technology enables the SBRT to track a tumor’s movement in real time. The technology delivers radiation directly to the tumor, while leaving healthy surrounding tissue unharmed. With CyberKnife, patients often need a much shorter course of treatment than with traditional radiation because SBRT is targeted radiation.
CyberKnife is used in conjunction with surgery and chemotherapy to treat metastatic esophageal cancer. It can be used prior to surgery to shrink a tumor, and it can be used to help with pain in more advanced disease.
Cancer treatment Miami, FL
If you are diagnosed with metastatic esophageal cancer and want to know if CyberKnife treatments can help you, call the experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami –a free-standing radiation treatment center in the heart of South Florida.
We tackle even the hardest to treat cancers for patients who have been turned away from other centers because of our expertise with CyberKnife.
At CyberKnife Miami our goal is to partner with you throughout your treatment journey and make sure you are as comfortable and as informed as possible.
If you would like to find out more about treatment with CyberKnife call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our website now for more information www.cyberknifemiami.com.