Journal of International Oncology ›› 2025, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (5): 262-267.doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn371439-20250410-00045

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Surgical treatment for esophageal cancer: a comprehensive narrative review

He Wenwu, Han Yongtao()   

  1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Chengdu 610041, China
  • Received:2025-04-10 Revised:2025-04-20 Online:2025-05-08 Published:2025-06-24
  • Contact: Han Yongtao E-mail:yongtao_han@126.com

Abstract:

Esophageal cancer is a highly prevalent and poorly prognostic malignant tumor of the digestive system worldwide. Surgical resection remains the key treatment for achieving long-term survival in patients with resectable disease. Surgical techniques are evolving from traditional open approaches to minimally invasive thoraco-laparoscopic procedures and robot-assisted surgeries. The concept of multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment has facilitated the deep integration of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and immunotherapy into the perioperative setting, making the treatment model tend to attach equal importance to standardization and individualization. The continuous optimization of perioperative management and the application of enhanced recovery pathways have significantly accelerated the postoperative recovery of patients with esophageal cancer, and the prevention and control strategies for common postoperative complications have also become increasingly standardized. The choice of surgical methods for esophageal cancer is becoming increasingly precise, requiring comprehensive consideration of tumor location, histological type, and patient-specific factors. The application of new technologies such as intraoperative navigation, artificial-intelligence-assisted decision-making, biomarker analysis, and immune microenvironment integration continues to expand the scope of precision surgery. The surgical treatment of esophageal cancer is developing rapidly in the direction of minimally invasive, intelligent and systematic collaboration, with the potential to further improve the safety, standardization, and long-term efficacy of the treatment.

Key words: Esophageal neoplasms, Surgical procedures, operative, Neoadjuvant therapy, Combined modality therapy