Treatment Options

There are different treatment options for esophageal cancer.  Surgery can often be an option for early-stage cancers since it can offer the best chance to eradicate the disease.  Esophagectomy is the most common surgical treatment for removing cancerous cells.  There are different techniques used for esophagectomy, including open surgery where a large incision is made in the neck, chest, or abdomen to remove cancer, or a minimally invasive technique. Lymph nodes are commonly removed during surgery.  In many cases, surgery is combined with other treatments such as chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

Minimally-invasive esophagectomy (MIE)

Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is a procedure that is performed to remove cancer in the esophagus. During an MIE, tiny incisions are made in the chest, and a surgeon inserts a camera and tools to operate and remove portions of the esophagus and/or stomach that contain cancer cells. Minimally invasive procedures are utilized to help patients recover faster from surgery.  Surgeons are trained to perform these procedures to help patients return to a normal and cancer-free life.  There are often fewer complications with MIE, they typically require a shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery.  MIE can be performed on mediastinal masses, chest wall tumors, pleural diseases, mesothelioma,

MIE does also uses robotically assisted techniques and tools to aid in the procedures. Robotically assisted surgery provides surgeons great precision and control of the equipment during the operation. The same camera and incisions are used in a robotically assisted MIE.