Skin tumors of the esophagus may be treated with endoscopy

2008/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

Treating skin tumors of the esophagus with resection endoscopy may not require removal of this part of the digestive tract. This technique has been applied for three years at the University Clinic of Navarra and 90% of patients treated have not been removed from the esophagus.

It is an effective technique when carcinoma is found in the superficial layers of the esophagus. The esophagus consists of three layers: mucosa, submucosa and muscle. When the tumor is in the mucosa, in most cases, the tumor is completely removed and the esophagus is avoided. Until recently, patients affected by this disease underwent complete resection of the esophagus. This operation presents a high morbidity and mortality.