Questions in the Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Forum have been answered by Dr. Kevin Pho who is board certified in Internal Medicine and by doctors from Henry Ford Health System.

Question Title: survival rates for esophagealcancer after chemo,radiation, and resection

Forum: The Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Forum
Topic: Esophageal Cancer


My brother was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last March. He
was diagnosed between stage II and stage III, with adenocarcinoma.
He went through a clinical study, had cisplatin and taxol for 6
week, with radiation, and had a resection done in september. The
pathology report found the nodes clean, but he had carcinoma
insitu left at the tumor site. this was removed with the resection.
My questions are if the nodes were clean, and they removed the
diseased portion, does he have a good chance for suvival. I
know this is an agressive cancer, but if it hasn't spread to
the nodes, does this mean that the treatment contained it and
the resection removed the cancer ? I guess I am trying to under-
stand why, after all this treatment, can it spread?

_____
Dear Maeve,
ESophageal cancer spread by direct extension. It is usually not curable because it extends into vital organs, thereby precluding surgical removal. If the resection showed that all the tumor was removed, then the chances for long-term survival are increased.

This information is presented for educational purposes. Always ask specific questions to your personal physician.

HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: esophageal cancer
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