Removing the esophagus is the standard way to cure esophageal cancers. However, these risky surgeries can result in eating difficulties, pain, complications and even death. One in 10 people die in the first 90 days after surgery.

Cancers that have travelled only into the first layer of the esophagus can be cored out and removed through the mouth using a scope without surgery. This is called ESD/EMR. This is much less risky and less painful and doesn’t cause any eating difficulties.

If the cancer has spread into the second or third layers of the esophagus, most doctors believe that the riskier surgery is needed to get a better result. But some people don’t want or can’t handle these surgeries.

Prior to studies like this, the treatment of other cancers (e.g. breast cancer) used to only involve intensive surgeries. Today, doctors use combination therapies, like the ones we are proposing, successfully.

Our study aims to see if it is possible and safe to treat these people with cancers of the second or third layers using ESD/EMR followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Sometimes, patients who can’t handle or don’t want a riskier surgery get ESD/EMR or just get chemotherapy and radiation.

We think that combining these three treatments will give people a better chance at a cure while still being safer than a high-risk surgery.