This is an example of a success story. Most of the time, esophagus cancer is caught late and survival - even with treatment - is rare. This "fortunate" patient presented with massive rectal bleeding. When gastroscopy was performed to search for the cause of bleeding, a bleeding duodenal ulcer was found to be the culprit and was easily treated and the bleeding was stopped. More importantly, a incidental small cancer was found in the lower esophagus. It was not the cause of the bleeding. The patient stopped smoking and received a course of radiation treatments to the esophagus. The photo above was taken 6 weeks after the radiation treatments were finished. The lumps of tissue in the esphagus were biopsied, but only showed scar tissue and swelling from the radiation. No cancer cells were found. Hopefully, the cancer was cured. Time will tell.

Text & Images Courtesy of Three Rivers Endoscopy Center
© Dr. Robert Fusco, Three Rivers Endoscopy Center, All Rights Reserved