Esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer is often diagnosed with a barium swallow study, endoscopy and a biopsy, although your doctor may use other tests to identify the problem. You may also have imaging scans, such as MRI and CT, and other tests to find out more about your cancer, where it’s located and which treatments are likely to be most effective. Some of these tests are also used to assess how well your treatment is working.

Find your nearest SunState Medical Specialists center to find out what diagnostic tests and scans are available in your local area. Whatever your outcome, our expert team will support you throughout your treatment journey.

We work with expert teams of surgeons who are specially trained in surgical removal of benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) tumors of the esophagus. The type of surgery you’ll have will depend on the location of your tumor and it’ll only be recommended if the cancer has not spread too far from the esophagus.

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At SunState Medical Specialists, we offer various drug therapies and a wide range of the latest anti-cancer drugs for esophageal cancer treatment, including hormone therapy and chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy refers to drugs that destroy cancer cells. Our expert teams may recommend chemotherapy before or after other treatments, or on its own. It can be combined with radiation therapy (chemoradiation) before or after surgery.

For advanced esophageal cancer, we use chemotherapy to shrink tumors, relieve symptoms and improve your esophageal cancer prognosis.

Targeted therapy

As researchers know more about esophageal cancer, they have developed new treatments that can specifically target it. We use targeted therapy to seek and attack cellular activity that the cancer depends on to survive and grow. They are used depending on the specific genetic make up of your cancer. Types of targeted therapy for esophageal cancer include:

• Monoclonal antibodies – certain esophageal cancer cells have too much of the HER2 protein on their cell surface, which can lead to abnormal cell growth. Monoclonal antibodies are used to treat advanced esophageal cancers with these changes.
• Angiogenesis inhibitors – suitable for some esophageal cancers, they work by blocking the protein VEGF which promotes new blood vessel formation and helps tumors grow
• NTRK inhibitors – some esophageal cancers have changes in a gene called NTRK which can lead to abnormal cell growth and cancer. These drugs are used for advanced or inoperable esophageal cancers to target proteins made by these genes

SunState Medical Specialists offers community-based cancer care and other services at convenient locations. The company’s purpose is to redefine the care experience by improving patient outcomes, access and care delivery. With advanced technology and innovative treatment options, skilled physicians and support staff offer comprehensive and coordinated care in radiation oncology, medical oncology, hematology, urology, diagnostics and surgical oncology.