Your esophagus is a hollow muscular tube that acts as a pathway between your throat and stomach. Foods and liquids travel down your esophagus as your body begins the digestive process. Because of the crucial role your esophagus plays in food intake and digestion, it’s easy to see how cancer in this region can be extremely problematic. Today, we take a look at how cancer forms in your esophagus, and how it is treated.

Cancer of the Esophagus

The tube that makes up your esophagus is made up of many different layers. Cancer can develop and spread throughout the layers. Here’s a brief outline of the layers of your esophagus.

• Mucosa – This is the innermost layer of the esophagus, and it is actually comprised of three sub-layers; the epithelium, the lamina propria and the muscularis mucosa.
• Submucosa – This is a layer of connective tissue just below the mucosa. It contains blood vessels, nerves and some of the glands that secrete mucus.
• Muscularis Propria – This is a thick layer of muscle underneath the submucosa. It helps push food along your esophagus and into your stomach.
• Adventitia – This is the outermost layer of the esophagus, comprised of connective tissue.

Esophageal cancer begins in the inner layer – the mucosa – of the esophagus. Left untreated, the cancer can spread into the outer layers of the esophagus, traveling into the submucosa and muscularis propria. There are two main types of cell mutations that can cause cancer formations. They are called squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas.

• Squamous cell carcinomas – A healthy esophagus is lined with squamous cells, but mutations or defects in these cells can lead to squamous cell carcinomas. This type of cancer can occur at any point in the esophagus.
• Adenocarcinomas – These cancers start in gland cells of the esophagus. In order for an adenocarcinoma to develop, gland cells need to replace an area of squamous cells, a transition that occurs in the condition known as Barrett’s esophagus. Generally, adenocarcinomas are contained to the lower part of the esophagus.

Other types of cancers like lymphomas and melanomas can occur in the cancer, but they are very rare.

Treatment of Esophageal Cancer

There are a few different ways to treat esophageal cancer. Surgery is the most common type of treatment for small cancers that haven’t spread. Your doctor will walk you through the specifics of your surgery based on the location, size and type of cancer you are dealing with. Other treatment options that may be used or coupled with surgery include:

• Radiation Therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted Drug Therapy

After successful treatment, your surgeon will likely ask you to return to their office every 3-6 months to ensure the cancer has not returned. If they are satisfied that the cancer is gone, you may eventually only need yearly checkups. For more information about esophageal cancer, contact an esophageal cancer surgeon today.