Management of Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer

Management of locally advanced esophageal cancer is evolving. Trimodality therapy with chemoradiation followed by surgical resection has become the standard of care. However, the value of planned surgery after response to therapy is in question. In this article, we discuss the current practice principles and evidence for the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer. Topics will include various neoadjuvant therapies, trimodality versus bimodality therapy, and outcomes for salvage esophagectomies. In addition, emerging novel therapies, such as HER2 inhibitors and immunotherapy, are available for unresectable or metastatic disease, enabling a greater armamentarium of tumor biology-specific treatments.