Diagnosis and Staging

• Computerized Tomography Scan
  A CT (or cat) scan can provide a highly-detailed image of the esophagus. CT scans are a series of X-rays combined by a computer in a cross-section view. They can be performed with injected contrast material to highlight esophageal tissue and suspicious masses. Since the basic imaging mechanism of a CT scan is X-rays, patients receive a low dose of radiation during the procedure.

• Positron Emission Tomography Scan
  Positron-emission tomography (or PET) scans are three-dimensional images of the metabolic functioning of body tissues. PET scans can be used to determine the type of cells in a mass and to detect whether or not a tumor is growing. Patients receiving PET scans are injected with a radioactive drug with about as much radiation as two chest X-rays.

• Bronchoscopy
  A bronchoscopy is an endoscopic examination of the trachea and bronchial tubes to determine how far cancer has spread.

• Endoscopic Ultrasound
  Endoscopic ultrasound is an extremely accurate way to determine how far esophageal cancer has spread. In this procedure a thin probe passed through an endoscope into the esophagus generated sound waves which penetrate into tissue. The echoes are captured and converted into highly detailed images by a computer.

• Thoracoscopy
  A surgical examination of the chest to determine if esophageal cancer has spread into them. A thoracoscope is inserted into a small incision between the ribs. The thoracoscope can transmit images and retrieve tissue samples for analysis.

• Laparoscopy
  A minimally-invasive surgical procedure in which a laparoscope is inserted through small incisions into the abdomen to visually inspect organs and retrieve tissue samples.

Esophageal Cancer Staging

• Stage 0
  Cancer only in the inner layer of the esophagus. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ.

• Stage I
  Stage I esophageal cancer has spread from the innermost layer to the next layer of tissue in the wall of the esophagus.

• Stage IIA
  Stage IIA esophageal cancer has spread to the esophageal muscle or the outer wall of the esophagus.

• Stage IIB
  Stage IIB is cancer of any of the three inner layers of the esophagus which has also spread to nearby lymph nodes.

• Stage III
  Stage III is cancer which has spread to the outer wall of the esophagus and nearby tissue or lymph nodes.

• Stage IVA
  Stage IVA is esophageal cancer which has spread to lymph nodes either near the original tumor or in other parts of the body.

• Stage IVB
  Stage IVB is esophageal cancer which has spread to distant lymph nodes or organs.

• Recurrent Esophageal Cancer
  Recurrent esophageal cancer is cancer which comes back after being (or seeming to be) eliminated. Recurrent esophageal cancer can come back in the esophagus or any other part of the body.