Best Esophagus Cancer Treatment Doctors in India
Best Esophageal Cancer Treatment Hospitals in India
Hospital Highlights:
- Apollo Hospitals is a private healthcare group in India, with its headquarters based in Chennai. Established in 1983 by Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, the group offers a wide range of medical treatments and services across various specialties.
- It is renowned for emphasizing innovation and utilizing cutting-edge medical technologies into patient treatment.
- Known as India’s first corporate hospital, Apollo Hospitals is often credited for pioneering the private healthcare revolution in the country.
- With clinics and hospitals located all throughout India, Apollo Hospitals is a nationwide healthcare organization. Its presence can also be found in foreign countries.
- Preventive health examinations, medical and surgical treatment, and diagnostic centres are just a few of the services that the Apollo group provides.
- The group has several centres of expertise, including Cardiac Sciences, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Emergency Care, Cancer Care, and Organ Transplantation.
- City: Chennai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- RIMC is a multi-specialty hospital in a sprawling area of 36 acres located in Chromepet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
- The facility has 450 beds including 130 critical care beds, 9 operating rooms, modern reference laboratories and radiology services, and is conveniently located near road, rail and air transportation.
- RIMC is led and managed by world-renowned physicians committed to healthcare.
- RIMC offers the broadest range of clinical care, education, and research. The hospital offers state-of-the-art technology and modern treatment facilities designed to provide health care at an affordable cost.
- Rela Institute is driven by patient needs, comfort and confidence.
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh is a multi-super specialty hospital that strives to provide world-class patient care by leaving no stone unturned.
- Fortis, Shalimar Bagh, with 262 beds and a 7.34-acre footprint, provides the best level of medical care through its team of doctors, nurses, technicians, and management professionals.
- City: Bengaluru, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Established in 2007, the Apollo Hospitals Bangalore is a 300-bed multispecialty hospital situated in Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore.
- Equipped with the state-of-the-art technology, it is a leading hospital dedicated to providing healthcare needs to patients with compassion and expertise.
- It is the first hospital to have completed the highest number of Robot Assisted Heart Surgeries in India.
- Over the years, it has successfully conducted some of the rarest medical procedures such as spinal angiolipoma excision, autologous chondrocyte implantations, and tibial tuberosity shift with MPSL reconstruction.
- The Apollo Hospitals Bangalore has the reputation of performing the greatest series of airway stents in the country.
- Additionally, the hospital is known for providing comprehensive treatment in specialties such as gastroenterology, urology, gynecology, oncology, colorectal surgery, etc.
- The “The Minimal Access Surgery Centre” (MASC), one of Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore’s premier Centres of Excellence, is devoted to the use of minimally invasive surgical procedures.
- In 2013, THE WEEK-A C Nielsen, Best Hospital Survey ranked Apollo Hospitals Bangalore as the 2nd best multi-speciality hospital in Bangalore.
- City: Mumbai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Gleneagles Global Hospital The 450-bed facility comprises of 17-stories, housing state-of-the-art infrastructure, and advanced medical care facilities.
- The hospital offers end-to-end clinical, surgical, and diagnostic services. It is equipped with a team of eminent medical professionals aided by qualified nurses and medical staff
- The Hospital offers advanced Endoscopic procedures, Hepatobiliary and Liver Surgeries, Surgical and Medical Gastroenterology, Bariatric Surgery, and Robotic surgery.
- The hospital is a center of excellence for Orthopedics, Joint Replacement, Knee Replacement, and Hip Replacement surgery.
- City: Hyderabad, India
Hospital Highlights:
- CARE Hospitals were established in the year 2000, by CARE Group.
- The multispecialty hospital has 435 beds, including 120 critical care beds, with an annual inflow of 180000 outpatients and 16,000 in-patients.
- The hospital provides specialty medical services in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Nephrology, and Urology.
- The hospital has the first dual source, 128 slice CT scanner (for high precision cardiac imaging) – the first of its kind in south India.
- The hospital offers a wide range of accommodation facilities for the convenience of its varied patient base, ranging from general wards to super deluxe rooms.
- City: Mumbai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Fortis Hospital in Mulund is a 315-bed multi-speciality tertiary care hospital with five JCI accreditations that offers a wide variety of diagnostic and treatment services. The Fortis Hospital in Mulund delivers patient-centred treatment with cutting-edge technology, highly skilled and experienced surgeons, and paramedical staff.
- This institution houses Maharashtra’s largest multi-organ transplant centre. It is also the first heart transplant centre in western India to conduct 100 or more consecutive heart transplants in under four years. It is the only hospital in the city to have multi-organ transplants and has handled the youngest patient for angioplasty. Fortis Hospital Mulund now boasts the first advanced surgical robot in central Mumbai.
- Cardiology and heart surgery, urology, nephrology, neurosciences, orthopaedics, digestive care, emergency and critical care, and maternity care are among the services provided by the hospital.
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka, is a super-specialty hospital in Dwarka, New Delhi, which is a part of Manipal Hospitals Group.
- The hospital aims to provide the best treatment on par with international standards at a fraction of the cost.
- Equipped with 380 beds, the hospital is also one of the new age hospitals which are equipped fully with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge technology as well as the latest and advanced clinical practices. The hospital also has 13 modular Operation theatres with 118 beds which are solely meant for critical care.
- The hospital comprises internationally acclaimed doctors and highly professional and experienced hospital and medical staff who are able to provide preventive, therapeutic, and diagnostic services all under one roof.
- City: Chennai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Located in Chennai, India, MGM Healthcare is a top multispecialty hospital that provides all medical services under one roof.
- Since its founding in 2019, MGM Healthcare has quickly become a leading national referral centre, creating several innovative flagship initiatives.
- MGM Healthcare combines next-generation medical and digital technologies to provide better patient results.
- With 12 centres of excellence, more than 400 inpatient beds, 100 intensive care unit beds, and 24/7 emergency care, MGM Healthcare leaves no chance in redefining the patient experience in Chennai.
- MGM Healthcare boasts 250+ expert doctors across 30+ departments, including Cardiology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and more.
- They house 12 specialized Centres of Excellence, including Neurosciences, Orthopaedics, and Multi-Organ Transplantation.
- Their team of doctors, nurses, and paramedics works together to give every patient individualized treatment.
Hospital Highlights:
- Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre is India’s premier multi-speciality tertiary care hospital and has been recognised as a global medical excellence centre.
- Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre has built an unrivalled level of trust with its patients over the years, thanks to a solid foundation that comprises cutting-edge facilities, the best medical competence, research, education, and charity endeavours.
- The hospital is quite proud of the fact that it now serves patients from all kinds of backgrounds, not just from the United States but from all around the world.
- The hospital has a total of 323 beds, one of the largest Intensive Care Units (ICUs), 12 Operation Theatres with modern amenities, over 300 consultants, and almost 1,800 personnel.
Esophagus Cancer
Esophagus Cancer is the cancer that occurs in the Esophagus – the long, hollow tube that runs from our throat to the stomach. The esophagus carries the food items from the throat to the stomach for digestion.
Generally, esophagus cancer (also called esophageal cancer) occurs in the cells that line the inside of the esophagus. Esophageal cancer can occur anywhere along the esophagus. It is seen that males are more prone to esophagus cancer than females.
Causes of Esophagus Cancer
The exact cause of esophagus cancer is still not known. The disease happens due to mutations in the DNA of cells which causes the cells to multiply abnormally. The excess cells form a tumor that grows and eventually spreads to other organs (metastates) if not treated.
However, the following are considered to be the risk factors of Esophagus cancer:
- GERD– Gastro-Intestinal Reflux Disease or GERD is a digestive disorder where the acids that help your stomach break down and process the food starts to push up the esophagus. Frequent acid reflux or chronic GERD can result in esophagus damage or cause cancer.
- Poor Lifestyle. Lifestyle choices like poor dietary routine, tobacco and alcohol consumption, choosing fast food over nutritious food, etc can directly or indirectly (chronic indigestion) lead to this condition.
- Barrett’s Esophagus. This is a medical condition that causes precancerous changes in the cell and can be one of the leading causes for esophagus cancer.
Other reasons may include:
- Obesity
- Achalasia (medical condition)
- Drinking very hot beverages frequently/ persistently
- Lack of nutrition
- Previous radiation / chemotherapy
- Other types of chronic digestive disorder
Prevention of Esophagus Cancer
Following are some of the recommended steps for reducing risk of esophagus cancer (as well as, other types of cancers):
- Quit smoking
- Drink alcohol in moderation, if you have to.
- Eat more fruits & green vegetables
- Maintain a healthy wait
- Maintain an active lifestyle.
Types of Esophagus Cancer
There are broadly two types of esophagus cancers:
Squamous Cell Carcinoma– This type of cancer develops in the thin, flat cells that form the inner lining of the esophagus. Even though the most common places are the top and the middle, Squamous cell carcinoma can appear anywhere in the esophagus lining.
Adenocarcinoma- The esophagus contains certain glandular cells that are primarily responsible for fluid production in the esophagus. Cancer developing in these cells is medically termed as adenocarcinoma. This type of cancer most often occurs in the lower end of the esophagus (close to the stomach)
Others- While the above two are the most common type, there are other types such as small cell carcinoma, melanoma, lymphoma and more that can be accounted for.
Symptoms of Esophagus Cancer
In Esophageal cancer, early stages usually come with zero or no symptoms. It is not until the cancer progresses to the advanced stage, do the symptoms start showing.
Common symptoms for Esophagus cancer would include:
- Discomfort, difficulty, and pain in swallowing
- Hoarseness in voice
- Severe coughing (chronic)
- Sudden loss of weight (unintentional)
- Frequent indigestion or acid reflux
- Dry throat (and even mouth)
- Chest pain or burning sensation in chest
- Severe tiredness
- Nausea (may be accompanied by vomiting)
Esophagus Cancer Stages
- Stage 1: Cancer is detected in the inner esophagus lining.
- Stage 2: Cancer has spread to the outer layer of the esophagus
- Stage 3: Cancer may have spread deeper into the inner layers or the surrounding tissues and cells around the esophagus
- Stage 4: Cancer is progressive and is spreading to other parts of the body.
Diagnosis of Esophagus Cancer
If the symptoms mentioned above start showing up, your healthcare professional will recommend one or more than one clinical tests to determine or identify the cancerous cells. Diagnostic tests may include:
Biopsy
Normal biopsy where a tissue is extracted from the suspected region and tested for presence of cancer.
Endoscopy
An endoscopy where the doctor uses a tube and image-guidance to view the esophagus lining and determine signs of abnormality
Scans
A MRI, CT or PET scan to determine the exact position of the cancer and whether it is spreading or not.
X-Ray
A X-Ray test known as barium swallow where the barium chemical helps highlight the images inside your body in an X-Ray allowing doctors a detailed vision of the esophagus and the tissues or organs around it.
If you have Esophagus cancer, on diagnosis, the doctor will determine your condition based on the 4 stages of the cancer.
Treatment options for Esophageal Cancer
The treatment method will heavily depend on the cell type, but the most common treatment methods recommended by doctors would be:
Surgery
Surgical intervention too will depend upon the severity of the condition. While some surgeries may aim to remove the cancerous tumor, other forms of surgery may remove parts of the esophagus or upper portion of the stomach, based on the origin and spread of the cancer. Most surgeries are open procedures, but surgical treatment for esophageal cancer may come with certain complications like internal bleeding or infection.
Chemotherapy
Chemo is one of the most popular treatment methods for cancer that aims to eliminate the cancerous cells within the body and can stop active cancer cells from spreading further. Chemo is often used alongside radiation therapy but even though it’s effective, this form of treatment may come with some side effects of its own, for instance, hair loss, nause, tiredness, and pain could be some of the side effects of chemotherapy.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high beams of radiation (X-Rays or Protons) to eliminate the cancer cells from the body. This form of treatment can also relieve symptoms. However, radiation therapy too comes with its own side effects which may include pain, swallowing-difficulty, sunburn-like conditions in skin.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy) is a new type of cancer treatment where the body’s immune system is boosted to help the body fight cancer by itself. Immunotherapy uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function.
What should my long-term expectations be?
Esophagus cancer, in the earlier stages can be cured completely. However, if you’ve already moved to the advanced stage, chances of complete cure can be difficult. However, it can always be treated to keep the symptoms in check. Chances of survival or cure are more if the cancer is not proactively progressive in nature.
FAQs
Are there any alternate treatment methods?
You can try other natural treatment methods like acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy etc at home to keep the symptoms in check but the primary form of treatment would either include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, both or surgery.
What is the survival rate for esophagus cancer?
If the cancer is diagnosed at the right time, the survival rate would be something around 47-50%. However, if the cancer is progressive in nature, the survival rate drops down to around 25%.