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April is Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month

Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month
April is Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s a crucial period for healthcare professionals to enhance their knowledge about the latest advancements in detecting, treating, and preventing esophageal cancer.
Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month

Importance of Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month

Esophageal cancer is recognized worldwide as the eighth (8th) most common form of cancer, according to 2020 statistics. Annually, it is responsible for approximately 6 lakh new cases and leads to around 5.4 lakh deaths. Four out of five cases of esophageal cancer diagnosis occur in men. This data underscores the significant impact of esophageal cancer on health systems worldwide.
In India, esophageal cancer represents a major health challenge, ranking as the fifth (5th) most common type of cancer. Each year, approximately 70,000 new cases result in about 66,000 deaths. This highlights the urgent need for improved prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies to reduce its significant impact on India’s health system and patients.
Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month - What You Should Know

Recent Advances in Esophageal Cancer

Minimally invasive surgery

Techniques like laparoscopic and robotic esophagectomy are becoming increasingly refined, offering patients faster recovery times and improved quality of life. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38492067/

Esophageal resection is a complex surgery. The reasons are shown in the image. Getting a good lymph node yield around RLN & good CRM is essential.
Minimally invasive surgery

Advantages:

Advantages of Minimally invasive surgery
An audio interview of Dr Harsh Shah with Akashwani on the topic of Robotic Surgery.

An audio interview of Dr Harsh Shah with Akashwani on the topic of Robotic Surgery.

Tap Below to Listen

An audio interview of Dr Harsh Shah with Akashwani on the topic of Robotic Surgery.

An audio interview of Dr Harsh Shah with Akashwani on the topic of Robotic Surgery.

Tap Below to Listen

Immunotherapy

The promise of immunotherapy for esophageal cancer is being actively explored. Checkpoint inhibitors are showing potential to improve outcomes in patients with advanced disease.

In selected patients post post-operative Nivolumab (Immunotherapy) increases survival. 

Adjuvant Nivolumab in Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

Targeted therapies

The identification of specific genetic mutations associated with esophageal cancer is covering the way for the development of targeted therapies. These therapies attack cancer cells with greater precision and potentially fewer side effects.

Educational Videos

Causes of Esophageal Cancer

Screening for Esophageal Cancer

Diagnosis of Esophageal Cancer

Treatment of Esophageal Cancer

Picture of Dr. Harsh Shah

Dr. Harsh Shah

Dr Harsh Shah is a specialized esophageal cancer surgeon in Ahmedabad.
He is practising at Apollo Hospital, Ahmedabad.

Picture of Dr. Harsh Shah

Dr. Harsh Shah

Dr Harsh Shah is a specialized esophageal cancer surgeon in Ahmedabad. He is practising at Apollo Hospital, Ahmedabad.

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Dr. Harsh J Shah

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