Esophageal Cancer

STAGING

Esophageal carcinoma occurs in the cells that line the inside of the esophagus. Stage I disease means that the cancer is still confined to just this inner lining and has not started to spread into the muscular wall of the esophagus. Stage II disease is disease growing into the muscular walls, but not into adjacent structures in the neck or chest. Stage III disease means that the cancer has spread into adjacent tissue, such as the trachea or lymph nodes. Stage IV disease has spread distantly to organs well away from the esophagus, such as the liver or lung tissue.