Therapist Unlimited Blog

A recent medical study has shown that early stage cancers of the esophagus can be treated as effectively by less-invasive,organ-sparing endoscopic therapy as compared to more complex surgical removal of the esophagus.
In a research made by Mayo Clinic it was discovered that 20 percent of esophageal cancer cases in the United States, the cancer is detected in the early stages.
Ganapathy Prasad, M.D., gastroenterologist and lead author on the study revealed that traditionally, esophageal cancer patients undergo a complicated surgery to remove the esophagus.
Prasad added their team compared surgery to the use of endoscopic therapy, where a scope is inserted in the esophagus and the cancer cells are shaved off.
He said the results showed the less-invasive therapy was just as effective as surgery for early-stage cancers.

To treat esophageal cancer minimal invasive treatment is found effective.

To get the data, some 178 patients with early-stage esophageal adenocarcinoma, 132 (74 percent) were treated with endoscopic mucosal resection and 46 (26 percent) were treated surgically.
The endoscopic mucosal resection patients underwent a procedure where a liquid is injected under the lesion and then an endoscope is used to shave off the lesions. The other patients underwent more traditional esophagectomy or removal of the esophagus.
In following these patients for nine years, both groups had a comparable overall mortality rate of approximately 20 percent.
Cancer recurred in 12 percent of patients treated endoscopically, but recurrence could be re-treated endoscopically.
Moreover, Prasad explains that esophagectomy surgery patients are typically in the hospital for a week, and 30 to 50 percent of patients have complications post surgery.
Prasad cited, patients whose esophagus has been removed face lifelong dietary restrictions.
Endoscopic treatments, however, are performed in an outpatient care setting, and patients can eat full meals in a couple of days.