Esophageal cancer starts in the cells of the esophagus. The esophagus is a hollow, muscular tube that carries food and drink from the back of your mouth down to your stomach. Cancer of the esophagus can start anywhere along the length of the esophagus.
Cancers that develop in internal organs (such as the esophagus) are less likely to present symptoms, and more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage (Canadian Cancer Statistics, 2018).
Listed below are two main types of esophageal cancer where treatment is similar in both cases:
Squamous Cell Carcinoma:
Starts in the cells that line the esophagus. These Cancers usually develop in the upper and middle part of the esophagus.
Adenocarcinoma:
Starts in the glandular cells in the lower part of the Esophagus.
About this Cancer
According to the 2025 Canadian Cancer Statistics, an estimated 2,800 Canadians will be diagnosed with esophageal cancer (2,100 males and 640 females).
In terms of mortality rate, it is estimated that 2,500 Canadians will die from the cancer (1,950 being males and 550 being females)
Source: Canadian Cancer Statistics, 2025
Symptoms may include:
- Weight loss
- Difficulty swallowing
- Pain in the chest or experiencing heartburn
- Hoarseness or persistent cough
- Fatigue
- Vomiting following eating
- Blood found in vomit
- Black/tarry feces
- Bone pain, particularly if the cancer has spread to the bone
For more information, check out the American Cancer Society.
Risk factors for esophageal cancer may include:
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Being overweight
- Drinking beverages that are quite hot
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Chemical injury affecting the esophagus
- Previous experience of cancer in the upper airway
- Exposure to ionizing radiation
- Different types of conditions ex: tylosis, achalasia, and plummer vinson syndrome
For more information, check out the Canadian Cancer Society.
The following may be used to diagnose esophageal cancer:
- Barium swallow study
- Upper endoscopy
- Biopsy
- Imaging tests (CT, MRI, PET scans) to help stage esophageal cancer and determine the extent of the cancer.
For more information, check out the Mayo Clinic.
Esophageal cancer can be treated through
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- A combination of chemotherapy and radiation
- Targeted drug therapy
- Immunotherapy
For more information, check out the Mayo Clinic.
Stories from Survivors
We currently do not have any esophageal cancer stories. If you know of any, please send them to us at info@survivornet.ca.
Resources
- Center for Esophageal and Gastric Cancer Support Programs
- Diet and Nutrition During Treatment for Esophageal Cancer
- Eating problems with oesophageal cancer
- EATING WELL DURING ESOPHAGEAL CANCER TREATMENT
- Esophageal Cancer (Youtube)
- Esophageal Cancer: Nutrition During and After Treatment
- Esophageal Cancer: Infographic (Hopkins Medicine)
- Esophageal Cancer: Infographic (Bristol Myers Squibb)
- Foods that Help Fight Cancer: A Focus on Esophageal Cancer
- Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers
- Nutrition for Patients with Esophageal Cancer
- Oesophageal Cancer: Guide for Patients
- Overcoming Stage 3 Esophageal Cancer: A Survivor Shares His Story of Self-Advocacy and Perseverance
- Preventing Esophageal Cancer
- Reducing your risk for esophageal cancer
- Surgery for Esophagus Cancer, Esophagectomy – Mayo Clinic (Youtube)
- August 15th, 2024 – Novel Test Helps ID Patients at High Risk of Esophageal Cancers – Johns Hopkins Medicine
- May 18, 2024 – Analysis of the trends and influencing factors for postoperative cough in patients with esophageal cancer based on patient-reported outcomes – Springer Link
- March 15, 2024 – Neoadjuvant therapy for non-small cell lung cancer and esophageal cancer – PubMed Central
- February 15, 2024 – Causal relationship between gut microbiota and risk of esophageal cancer: evidence from Mendelian randomization study – PubMed Central
- January 11, 2024 – Advancing Esophageal Cancer Treatment: Immunotherapy in Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Settings – MDPI
- 2024 – Cancer-associated fibroblasts in esophageal cancer – Science Direct
- November 2023 – Delayed surgical intervention after chemoradiotherapy in esophageal cancer:(DICE) study – Annals of Surgery
- October 19, 2023 – Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, and tobacco-specific nitrosamines and incidence of esophageal cancer – Oxford Academic
- October 9, 2023 – Microbiome changes in esophageal cancer: implications for pathogenesis and prognosis – PubMed Central
- August 15, 2023 – Efficacy and safety in proton therapy and photon therapy for patients with esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis – JAMA Network
- June 2023 – Five-year prognosis model of esophageal cancer based on genetic algorithm improved deep neural network – Science Direct
- December 8, 2022 – Epidemiology of esophageal cancer in 2020 and projections to 2030 and 2040 – Wiley Online Library
- November 2022 – The development and progress of nanomedicine for esophageal cancer diagnosis and treatment – Science Direct
- March 28, 2022 – Sex differences in esophageal cancer overall and by histological subtype – scientific reports
- November 15, 2021 – DNA methylation markers in esophageal cancer: an emerging tool for cancer surveillance and treatment – PubMed Central
- November 2021 – Advances and challenges in the treatment of esophageal cancer – Science Direct
- September 23, 2020 – Epidemiology of esophageal cancer: update in global trends, etiology and risk factors – Springer Link
- May 22, 2020 – Obesity and esophageal cancer: GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, and molecular carcinogenic pathways – Taylor & Francis
Esophageal Cancer Groups
Canadian Digestive Health Foundation:”We are the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, Canada’s trusted resource on digestive health. Committed to providing useful, up-to-date information and research to help Canadians better manage digestive conditions and live healthier lives.” Visit them at Canadian Digestive Health Foundation
- Esophageal Cancer Action Network (USA)
- Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association (USA)
- Esophageal Cancer Education Foundation (USA)
- Esophageal Cancer Support Group of Philadelphia (USA)
- DeGregorio Family Foundation (USA)
- Digestive Cancers Europe
- Heartburn Cancer UK
- Ochre (UK)
- Oesophageal and Gastric Cancer Support (UK)
- The Oesophageal Cancer Fund (Ireland)
- The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation (USA)