Management of T2 esophageal cancer

Patients with clinically staged T2N0 esophageal cancer are a small subset of patients for whom therapy is not standardized. Current clinical staging modalities are lacking in providing accurate staging for the presumed T2N0 subset. Problems with overstaging and understaging can each have adverse consequences for the patient. Furthermore, the benefit of induction therapy versus esophagectomy followed by adjuvant therapy for upstaged patients is unproven. The management of this challenging group of patients is reviewed.