title: Some thoughts about the treatment of patients suffering from cancer of the esophagus or cardia.
abstract: The treatment of patients suffering from carcinoma of the esophagus or the cardia is extremely difficult, and the results to date have not been encouraging. The authors are of the opinion that only relatively young patients in good general condition, with a tumor smaller than 5 cm, without metastases and without peri-esophageal infiltration, should be considered for curative ratiotherapy and/or surgery. However, apart from these tumor and patient elements, the physician's skill and the facilities for adequate nursing are also of decisive importance. When curative treatment is not possible, this does not imply the more or less automatic selection of some form of palliative radiotherapy or surgery. In certain circumstances, symptomatic treatment or the natural course of the disease will be best for the patient and his environment. More data should be collected regarding the natural course of the disease, especially in comparison with the results after palliative surgery or radiotherapy.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010166:Palliative Care