ENDOSCOPIC THERAPY OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a useful tool in the diagnosis, st aging, and management of esophageal cancer. Endoscopic ultrasound prov ides the most accurate staging of tumor depth and regional lymph node status. Other techniques, like photodynamic therapy, laser ablation, a nd deployment of expendable stents, are highly effective at palliating dysphagia with a minimum of procedure-related morbidity. Endoscopic m ucosal resection and photodynamic therapy also give hope of curative r esection or ablation in nonoperative candidates with early stage tumor s. Thus, endoscopy plays an important role not only in the diagnosis o f esophageal malignancies, but also in their subsequent staging and tr eatment.