Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancers arise in the esophagus, the tube that connects the throat to the stomach. These cancers can happen in the upper portion of the esophagus or lower down where the esophagus meets the stomach, commonly referred to as the gastroesophageal junction. Esophageal cancer is the seventh most common cancer diagnosed worldwide and is the sixth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Risk factors include male gender, family history of esophageal cancer, smoking, alcohol consumption, and patients who have a history of Barrett’s esophagus. Stages of liver cancer use Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) staging as well as Stage Grouping using Stages 0, I, II, III, or IV. Staging systems describe the extent of cancer throughout the body and help doctors determine which treatments to offer. Esophageal cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation (chemoradiation). The choice and effectiveness of the treatment may depend upon the stage at diagnosis.
NOTE: Treatment Options listed below are not all-inclusive. Other treatments may be available. ChemoExperts provides drug information and does not recommend any one treatment over another. Only your Doctor can choose which therapy is appropriate for you.
Notice to user: The term chemotherapy, later shortened to “chemo”, originated in the early 1900s from Nobel Prize winning German physician and chemist, Dr. Paul Erlich. Dr. Erlich defined chemotherapy to mean “the use of chemicals as a therapy to treat disease.” (Source). Many years later, the term became synonymous with the use of chemicals to treat cancer specifically. Because early cancer therapies became quickly known for their severe side effect profile, the term chemotherapy took on a negative connotation. If we fast forward several decades, the anti-cancer therapies used today have become refined, and for many diseases, treatment can be safely taken in the comfort of your own home.
As chemotherapy has become particularly targeted, certain side effects have lessened, while new side effects have emerged. However, the premise behind therapy, that is using a chemical to kill cancer, has not changed. Therefore, the clinicians who created ChemoExperts.com believe the term “chemotherapy” still very much applies to all anti-cancer medications, but importantly, can no longer suggest what, if any, side effects a patient is likely to experience. For this to become clear, education regarding each individual drug, as well as information derived from the use of combination therapy (multiple chemo medications) is required. As a result, we have structured our website to make it easier for users to learn about cancer treatment and hope that if you are taking or receiving chemotherapy, that ChemoExperts.com is able to provide you with the tools needed to make the journey a little easier and life more rewarding.
Treatment Options
Created: November 30, 2022
Updated: November 30, 2022
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