Guides for Patients are designed to assist patients, their relatives and caregivers to better understand the nature of different types of cancer and evaluate the best available treatment choices.
What is oesophageal cancer?
Oesophageal cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the oesophagus, which is part of the digestive system. The oesophagus carries food from the mouth to the stomach. The most common types of oesophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.
Beyond a definition of oesophageal cancer, in this guide for patients you will find answers to questions such as:
- What are the symptoms of oesophageal cancer?
- How common is oesophageal cancer?
- What causes oesophageal cancer?
- How is oesophageal cancer diagnosed?
- How will my treatment be determined?
- What are the treatment options for oesophageal cancer?
- Clinical trials
- Additional interventions
- What are the possible side effects of treatment?
- What happens next?
- Support groups
This guide has been prepared to help you, your friends, family and caregivers, better understand oesophageal cancer and its treatment. The medical information described in this document is based on ESMO clinical practice guidelines for the management of oesophageal cancer. We recommend that you ask your doctor about the tests and types of treatments available in your country for your type and stage of oesophageal cancer.
Published in 2023.
This Patient Guide was presented during the Patient Guides event entitled 'Let's talk about oesophageal and stomach cancers' on 21 October during the ESMO 2023 Congress in Madrid.
To enquire about permission to translate or support the distribution (in English or in a translated version) of the Patient Guides series, please send an e-mail to patient_guides@esmo.org