The Oesophagus is the food pipe that starts from below the throat and ends where it joins the stomach below. The lining of the food pipe can give rise to cancer called Oesophageal cancer.

The most common type of cancer affecting the Oesophagus is called Squamous cell carcinoma.

At the junction of the Oesophagus and stomach – the area referred to as Oesophago-gastric junction, the other type called adenocarcinoma is more common. Cancer at the Oesophago-gastric junction is gradually becoming more common than the squamous cell carcinoma affecting the oesophagus above.

Cancer arising from oesophagogastric junction behaves differently and the upper ones are managed similarly to oesophageal cancer and the lower ones managed similar to stomach cancer.

Whereas squamous cell cancer is treated before surgery by a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma can be treated by either combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone based on the individual case scenario.

Unregulated multiplication of cells lining the food pipe can lead to cancer of the Oesophagus. This is often associated with irritation produced by tobacco, alcohol and reflux of stomach contents back into the Oesophagus.

Multimodality treatment and early detection have made it possible for Oesophageal cancer to be curable. Periodic endoscopic surveillance in high-risk groups makes it possible to identify lesions at an early stage and these can be treated by endoscopic or surgical procedures with the promise of a cure. Even when the cancer is locally advanced but not spread to distant sites, it is often possible to first shrink the tumour by using chemotherapy and/ or radiotherapy and make it amenable for surgical removal. With the advent of newer chemotherapy options like immunotherapy, it is possible to offer meaningful outcomes in advanced cancer as well.