Nonresectable esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer is a devastating illness that has often metastasized before diagnosis. Diagnostic options include barium x-ray and endoscopy. Staging is most accurate using endoscopic ultrasonography. Treatment modalities that are widely used include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, dilatation, prosthesis placement, neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser and combinations thereof. Photodynamic therapy is a treatment currently used on an experimental basis that offers selective ablation of cancerous cells. Nursing support for these patients is critically important and must be ongoing. Education for patients and families is continuous throughout the course of treatment.