Expertise in Surgical Therapies for Cancer of the Esophagus

Historical Background

We have had a long history of dealing with esophageal cancer dating back to the late 1930s with Drs. Richard Sweet and Edward Churchill.  They were among the earliest pioneers of treating patients with esophageal cancer. 

Dr. Sweet’s original report of resection is among the first in medical literature. Certainly in his time, he was the leading esophageal surgeon in the world, with results that would still be quite admirable in this day and age. 

Mass General Hospital was among the first institutions in the United States (in 1981) to use neoadjuvant chemotherapy and subsequently radiotherapy before surgery for cancer of the esophagus, both squamous cell and adenocarcinoma. 

Survival Results

We have had a long and successful record of innovative care for patients with this difficult malignancy. Our survival results are as good as anywhere in the world, but we also help patients get through the treatments and get them successfully in and out of the hospital after surgery with a very low operative mortality, currently around 1.9%, which is among the best anywhere in the United States.