How To Treat Esophageal Cancer

Place A Stent In The Esophagus

A patient's physician may place a stent in their esophagus as part of the esophageal cancer treatment process. A stent is a hollow mesh tube made of plastic or silicone that self expands, or a physician manually expands it once it is in place. The esophageal stent holds the area where the tumor is located open so food and fluids can pass into the stomach normally. Stenting is typically done in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy who have trouble with swallowing normally. A stent is also commonly placed for palliative care in patients who have esophageal cancer that is too widespread for manual removal. In addition, an esophageal stent may be used to relieve symptoms in patients who cannot yet undergo tumor excision surgery due to other medical circumstances. This type of treatment may be chosen over the installation of a feeding tube or manual tumor removal because the placement of a stent does not require general anesthesia or surgery.