Detailed Guide: Esophagus Cancer How Is Esophagus Cancer Staged?
Staging is the process of finding out whether the cancer has spread and if so, how far. The treatment and prognosis (the outlook for chances of survival) for people with esophageal cancer depend, to a great extent, on the cancer’s stage. Eophageal cancer can be staged in several ways but symptoms such as dysphagia most commonly lead to a barium swallow and/or endoscopy procedure. The size of the tumor can then be estimated. Then a CT scan is usually done, especially if the tumor is smaller than 5 centimeters (2 inches). The CT scan can show if the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes and/or the lungs, if the tumor extends through the esophagus into the trachea (windpipe), and if the cancer has spread to distant organs like the liver. Return to Top In some medical centers, endoscopic ultrasound can be performed to give very detailed pictures of just how deeply the cancer has invaded the esophageal tissue. The depth of penetration of the cancer is very important in determining the cha
