IntroductionManagementofesophagealcancerhasseenmuchprogressinthepasttwodecades.Thereusedtobeonlythreetreatmentoptionsforpatientssufferingthisdeadlydisease:surgicalresection,externalirradiationtherapy,andintubationwithplasticprosthesis.Forthosewithterminaldisease,agastrostomytubewasofteninserted.Thiswasanunsatisfactoryprocedureforitmerelyprolongedlifewithoutmeaningfulpalliation.Inrecentyears,surgicalresectionhasbeenrefined,techniquesofradiationimproved,neoadjuvantoradjuvanttherapieswithchemotherapyand/orradiotherapyadded,andvariousnewmethodsofendoscopicproceduresmadeavailableforpalliation.Foreachpatient,thebestsingleorcombinationoftreatmentshastobeinpidualized.Therapeuticoptionsforesophagealcancerhaveindeedincreased.Therearethreemainareasinwhichprogressismostevident:theyaresurgicalresection,multimodalitytreatment,andendoscopicpalliation.
