What is the ideal treatment for early esophageal cancer?

A study was made of treatment policies for superficial cancer in 1,982 cases in Japan from 1966 to 1989, and on 45 cases experienced in our department. The majority of epithelial cancer and muscularis mucosal cancer was early cancer without lymph node metastasis, and the five-year survival rates, excluding other disease deaths, was approximately 90-95%. It was estimated that reduced surgery would be sufficient. In high risk cases, and for patients rejecting surgery, radiotherapy with chemotherapy was acceptable. In submucosal cancer, node metastasis existed in approximately 35% of cases, and the five-year survival rates, excluding other disease deaths, was approximately 60%. However, even though a case may be node negative, some develop recurrent disease and for this reason radical surgery, as applicable in advanced cancer cases, is desirable.