Late Results of Surgical Treatment of Carcinoma of the Esophagus

In the management of malignant tumors the surgeon must adopt a policy about treatment that depends on what he can accomplish with the methods available. With few exceptions this means that he must choose extensive surgical extirpation of the disease according to established principles, the employment of roentgen ray therapy that usually has a much smaller prospect of cure, or, in some instances, treatment for symptoms alone. If the emphasis is placed on the hope of cure, the number of patients operated on will be relatively small. If the intent is to secure relief from the discomforts of the disease and possible cure in the more favorable cases, the benefits of surgery will be offered to much larger numbers. The necessity for observing these principles is no better exemplified than in the treatment of carcinoma of the esophagus. Some physicians believe that surgical resection in the management of this disease