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Community Health Network's thoracic surgeons are specialists who can help diagnose and treat esophageal cancer. When esophageal cancer is found early, your chances of recovery are better. It’s important to understand the symptoms and risk factors of esophageal cancer for early detection.
Please contact us for a consultation if you have concerning symptoms or have already been diagnosed and would like to discuss treatment options.
To make an appointment with an esophageal or thoracic cancer provider, call Community's oncology scheduling specialists at 317-621-2627 or request an appointment online.
Esophageal cancer occurs in the tissues of the esophagus, the long, muscular tube that runs from the back of your throat to your stomach. Although not as common as lung or breast cancer, it is the sixth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
The two most common types of esophageal cancer are esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Less common esophageal cancers are neuroendocrine tumors (which affect hormone cells) and lymphoma (which spreads from esophagus lymph nodes).
Esophageal cancer risk increases with the following factors and conditions:
*For help with quitting smoking, call 800-QUIT-NOW or visit https://quitnowindiana.com.
Early signs of cancer in the esophagus often include difficult or painful swallowing and unexplained weight loss. Other symptoms include pain behind the breastbone, coughing or hoarse voice, indigestion and heartburn, and a lump under the skin.
Keep in mind, these symptoms are present in many other conditions and do not necessarily indicate cancer. The best way to be sure is to talk with your primary care doctor about symptoms that do not get better over time.
To diagnose esophageal cancer, your provider will do a physical exam and take a health history.
Various screenings of the upper digestive system may be recommended, including a barium swallow study or esophagoscopy. During an esophagoscopy, a thin lighted scope, or tube, is inserted into the esophagus to look for issues in the tissue. Tissue samples may be taken for further examination at a lab as needed. If both the esophagus and stomach are examined, the procedure is called an upper endoscopy.
After a diagnosis of esophageal cancer is confirmed, your doctor may recommend additional tests to determine whether your cancer has spread to your lymph nodes or to other areas of your body. These tests could include:
Treatment plans for esophageal cancer may include a combination of surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy or immunotherapy depending on the type of cancer, tumor size and stage, tumor location, and the patient’s overall health. Your multidisciplinary team will work with you and your family to ensure you receive the best treatment plan possible.
To remove tumors in the esophagus, a thoracic surgeon may perform an esophagectomy. This procedure is used to remove some or all of the esophagus between the mouth and stomach where the tumor is present. At Community, our expert surgeons are specially trained to perform esophagectomies using minimally invasive techniques, including the robotic da Vinci Surgical System.
Dr. Rachit Gupta specializes in minimally invasive thoracic oncology and is an expert in lung cancer, esophageal cancer, mediastinal malignancies and benign thoracic diseases. He can perform robotic resections of thoracic malignancies in all of these areas.
Dr. Gupta is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS).
Dr. Kenneth Kesler specializes in thoracic surgical oncology and is an expert in lung cancer, esophageal cancer, mediastinal malignancies, and benign thoracic diseases. Prior to joining Community Health Network, Dr. Kesler was the surgical director of the Indiana University Thoracic Oncology Program, professor of surgery, and a faculty mentor to general and thoracic surgery residents.
Dr. Kesler is a fellow of American College of Surgeons and a member of various societies, including American College of Chest Physicians, American Association for Thoracic Surgeons, American Society of Clinical Oncology, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.
Dr. Pulikal’s primary clinical interests are in minimally invasive general thoracic surgery via VATS and robotics. This includes anatomic lung resection and esophagectomy for benign and malignant disease. Dr. Pulikal is proficient in surgical management of complex primary mediastinal tumors, chest wall resection and reconstruction, and thoracic trauma.
Dr. Ashish Pulikal completed an integrated residency in cardiothoracic surgery and was administrative chief resident at UNC. He has been a member of the surgical simulation center at UNC teaching multiple courses for medical students, nurses and APPs in bedside and operating room surgical thoracic care.
