Printer-Friendly Version

Forward to a Colleague

Permission for Use

Esophageal Cancer

Treatment

What are the most important concepts to understand about the management plan:

1. Staging of the disease.
2. Performance status:

   Karnofsky scores
   ECOG score

3. Nutritional status: He needed nutritional support prior to beginning intensive therapy so he increased his intake, particularly protein, by using high calorie protein liquid supplements.
4. Preoperative radiation therapy to reduce the size of the tumor, aid in swallowing.
5. Esophagectomy by either left thoracoabdominal approach for a esophagogastrectomy or transhiatal esophagectomy.
6. Chemotherapy for systemic disease.

How is performance status related to treatment for cancer?

What assessments related to nutritional status need to be made? What is his nutritional risk?

What is the relationship of weight loss and prognosis in cancer patients?

What are some issues for caregivers?

What are the issues of anticipatory grief?

Discuss any alternatives: Macrobiotic diet, an alternative therapy, does not cure the disease. This diet may be used as complimentary to medical treatment and provide some patient satisfaction because of patient involvement in self care; however, the diet is fairly stringent and unfamiliar to most Americans.

Epidemiological information about cancer of the esophagus from the NCI.