Current attempts to cure cancer of the esophagus

The current attempts to cure cancer of the esophagus have been reviewed. Evaluating the results of treatment is an exercise in assessing varying degrees of failure. Furthermore, selection biases make meaningful comparison of the results difficult. The results of surgical, radiotherapeutical, and chemotherapeutical treatment as single modality treatment seem quite similar, although a reduction of the postoperative mortality has been reported from various centres. The results of combined modality treatment indicate that it is possible to render some patients tumorfree at the time surgery by preoperative treatment, but this therapeutical gain has not so far increased the 5-year survival of the entire treated group. The results of combined modality treatment without surgery is favoured by absence of postoperative mortality.