National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute
U.S. National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute
NCI Home Cancer Topics Clinical Trials Cancer Statistics Research & Funding News About NCI
What You Need To Know About™ Cancer of the Esophagus
    Posted: 09/14/1999    Updated: 09/16/2002




Introduction






The Esophagus






Understanding the Cancer Process






Risk Factors






Recognizing Symptoms






Diagnosing Esophageal Cancer






Staging the Disease






Treatment






Side Effects of Treatment






Nutrition for Cancer Patients






The Importance of Followup Care






Providing Emotional Support






Questions for Your Doctor






National Cancer Institute Information Resources



Page Options
Print This Page  Print This Page
Print This Document  Print This Document
View Entire Document  View Entire Document
E-Mail This Document  E-Mail This Document
PDF Version  View/Print PDF
Order Free Copy  Order Free Copy
Quick Links
Director's Corner

Dictionary of Cancer Terms

NCI Drug Dictionary

Funding Opportunities

NCI Publications

Advisory Boards and Groups

Science Serving People

Español
NCI Highlights
The Cancer Genome Atlas Reports Brain Tumors Study

New Study of Targeted Therapies for Breast Cancer

The Nation's Investment in Cancer Research FY 2009

Cancer Trends Progress Report: 2007 Update

Past Highlights
You CAN Quit Smoking Now!
Introduction

The diagnosis of cancer of the esophagus* brings with it many questions and a need for clear, understandable answers. We hope this National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet (NIH Publication No. 00-1557) will help. It provides information about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer of the esophagus, and it describes some of the possible causes (risk factors) of this disease. Having this important information may make it easier for patients and their families to handle the challenges they face.

Cancer researchers continue to study and learn more about cancer of the esophagus. The Cancer Information Service (CIS), a free public service of the NCI, can provide the latest, most accurate information on cancer of the esophagus. The CIS meets the information needs of patients, the public, and health professionals. Specially trained staff provide the latest scientific information about cancer in understandable language. They can also provide information about locating community cancer programs and services. CIS staff answer questions in English and Spanish and distribute NCI materials, such as the publications mentioned in this booklet. The toll-free phone number is 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). For deaf and hard of hearing callers with TTY equipment, the number is 1-800-332-8615.

Many NCI publications are also available on the Internet at the Web sites listed in the "National Cancer Institute Information Resources" section at the end of this booklet.


*Throughout this booklet, words that may be new to readers appear in italics. Definitions of these and other terms related to cancer of the esophagus can be found in the Dictionary. For some words, a "sounds-like" spelling is also given.

Next Section >


A Service of the National Cancer Institute
Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health USA.gov