What is the suvival rate for esophageal cancer?

Answer 1

Since most patients are diagnosed when the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other structures, the prognosis for esophageal cancer is poor. Generally, no more than half of all patients are candidates for curative treatment. Even if cure is attempted, the cancer can recur. Still, new treatments are always evolving.

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Answer 2

My dad was diagnosed with Stage III(a) EC a little over 9 months ago (May 2010) and has done nothing in terms of treatment. He is still leading a normal life and doing all the things he normally does. He has some problems swallowing his food but I think he's learned to live with that (for the most part). No visible signs of weight loss. He still goes to the gym every morning. He recently went to get a CT/PET scan and the results showed that the cancer hasn't spread or metastasized and that the tumor may be slightly smaller. Don't know how that's possible but okay. He is adamantly against chemotherapy and radiation. So ... I don't know how much longer he'll continue to be normal, but this is his choice and, aside from the swallowing thing, you'd never know anything was wrong.