Cancer of the esophagus is the most serious disease of the esophagus seen by surgeons.

• About 11,000 Americans each year are diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus
  
• Though this is not a common cancer, it is almost always fatal unless treated early
  
• While this cancer is easy to diagnose, it is difficult to treat and the five-year survival rate is lower than many other cancers
  

Rupture through the entire wall of the esophagus is an uncommon non-cancerous but life threatening disease of the esophagus that could lead to esophagectomy. This could occur following an episode of severe vomiting.

Anatomy and Physiology

The esophagus, sometimes called the gullet, is a tube-like structure that connects the back of the throat (the pharynx) to the stomach. (Figure 1)

Figure 1 - Anatomy of the esophagus, the tube that guides food and drink from the mouth into the stomach.