MULTIMODALITY TREATMENT OF CARCINOMA ESOPHAGUS

Esophageal cancer is unique among the gastrointestinal tract malignancies because it embodies two distinct histopathological types, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Incidence is increasing gradually worldwide. Although it seems appropriate to individualize the treatment of these tumours, often they are managed as a single entity. Unfortunately, present-day therapeutic interventions have had little impact on survival, as evidenced by the equivalence of incidence and mortality rates. A more thorough understanding of the initiating events, the molecular biologic basis, and treatment successes and failures will hopefully dawn a new era of therapy effectively targeting both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The treatment of carcinoma esophagus includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or a combination of these techniques; however, despite multitudes of clinical trials and retrospective reviews, standard treatment protocols are yet to be formulated. This Study is one such effort to formulate or standardize a protocol for the treatment of carcinoma esophagus.