At the Abramson Cancer Center, esophageal cancer diagnosis and staging is a team effort. Our experts’ close collaboration ensures we thoroughly review and discuss all aspects of your case. A well-informed diagnosis offers the best chance for effective treatment.
Esophageal Cancer Diagnosis: The Penn Medicine Advantage
Penn Medicine’s skilled pathologists, radiologists and gastroenterologists have skillfully detected common and rare types of esophageal cancer for decades. Our specialists are highly trained, nationally respected and deeply committed to improving your life.
When you choose Penn, you benefit from our:
- Diagnostic precision: Subspecialty training provides our gastrointestinal experts with a thorough understanding of rare and complex esophageal cancers. We diagnose hard-to-detect cases some doctors seldom see.
- Expert second opinions: We provide comprehensive second opinion consultations for esophageal cancer. One of our specialists will review your records and meet with you one-on-one. We offer our take on the best next steps in your care and answer your questions.
- Personalized cancer risk evaluations: A small percentage of esophageal cancer cases have a genetic link. The specialists at Penn’s Gastrointestinal Cancer Genetics Program can help you identify cancer risk factors and options to protect your health. Find out what a GI Cancer Risk Evaluation entails.
- Screening options for people at high risk: If certain conditions (such as Barrett’s esophagus) put you at increased risk, your doctor may recommend regular testing to monitor for precancerous changes in the esophagus. Screening procedures help our specialists detect and remove abnormal cells in the esophagus before they turn to cancer.
- All-inclusive care: Wherever you are in your care journey, you can access comprehensive esophageal cancer diagnosis, treatment and support services at Abramson Cancer Center locations throughout the region.
Diagnosing Esophageal Cancer
Diagnosing esophageal cancer in early phases can make a big difference in your care and outcome. Our specialists use a wide spectrum of tests to detect esophageal cancer as early as possible, when treatments tend to be most effective.
If your doctor suspects esophageal cancer, they may recommend you have one or more diagnostic procedures. Specialized tests (such as endoscopic ultrasound) enable us to detect and biopsy (take a tissue sample) esophageal tumors in less invasive ways. Learn about esophageal cancer diagnostic tools.
A dedicated GI cancer pathologist expertly analyzes all tissue samples under a microscope to confirm or rule out esophageal cancer.
Staging Esophageal Cancer
If you have received an esophageal cancer diagnosis, your doctor may still recommend additional tests, such as CT or MRI scans as part of esophageal cancer staging. Staging provides more information about whether or where cancer has spread. It also informs esophageal cancer prognosis.
Ultimately, our specialists come together to discuss these details and create a customized treatment plan. Learn about esophageal cancer treatments.
Request an Appointment
Our oncology nurse navigator team can guide you to the right esophageal cancer expert for your needs. Call 215-615-0534 to speak with a knowledgeable esophageal cancer nurse navigator or request an appointment online.