Use of minimally invasive surgery in staging esophageal cancer.

ABSTRACT

Noninvasive staging of esophageal cancer (EC) is often inaccurate, and this fact has compromised clinical trials of treatment for EC. Prognostic evaluation might allocate chemotherapy and radiation more appropriately. Thoracoscopy and laparoscopy has recently shown promising results, and molecular analysis of the recovered tissue may further improve staging accuracy.