Why Choose Virginia Mason in Seattle for esophageal cancer treatment?
Each year, 80 million people suffer from daily heartburn, which can lead to Barrett’s esophagitis and then cancer. Esophageal cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the United States. National mortality rates for surgical resection of esophageal cancer range between 8 percent and 20 percent, while morbidity rates for esophageal cancer are between 45 percent and 70 percent. Virginia Mason’s mortality rate is under 0.5 percent in over 400 consecutive operations with morbidity rates well below the national norms. In fact, VM’s recent survival rates for patients treated with Stage I and II cancer are the best that have ever been published. These low numbers are a result of the esophageal cancer care team using standardized pathways and templates and effective team management of patients during treatment. At Virginia Mason in Seattle, patients with esophageal cancer receive care from a multidisciplinary team of board-certified physicians, nurses and caregivers with specific interests in th
