Medical Care in China

esophageal cancer
Treatment in China

Provide a clear and complete coordinated pathway from expert assessment to treatment and rehabilitation.

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Comprehensive coverage of digestive diseases, includinggastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, and anorectal diseases, all of which can be assessed.
Endoscopic precision diagnosis and treatmentis used for examination, biopsy and some minimally invasive treatments.
Complex digestive surgerycovers gastrointestinal tumors, intestinal obstruction, and complex abdominal diseases.
Multidisciplinarycollaborative assessment involving internal medicine, surgery, imaging, and oncology teams.

Condition Guide

About esophageal cancer

Understand the condition, common triggers and treatment options that may require specialist assessment.

Disease Introduction

Esophageal cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs on the mucosa of the esophagus (the digestive tract connecting the throat and stomach). In my country, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type. Early stages often present with no obvious symptoms; by the time symptoms such as choking when swallowing, discomfort behind the sternum, or weight loss appear, the cancer is often in a locally advanced stage. With advancements in minimally invasive surgery, immunotherapy, and precision radiotherapy, most operable patients can achieve a cure through a comprehensive approach of "preoperative treatment + radical surgery + postoperative consolidation." Those who cannot undergo surgery can achieve long-term control through a combination of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.

Cutting-edge high-precision diagnostic and treatment technologies

  1. Perioperative immunoadjuvant therapy : Based on the global phase III CheckMate-577 study, patients with esophageal/esophagogastric junction cancer who did not achieve pathological complete remission after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and underwent radical surgery, and who received adjuvant therapy with nivolumab after surgery, had their median disease-free survival extended from 11 months to 22.4 months (HR 0.69), and have become the international standard adjuvant immunoadjuvant regimen.
  2. Robot-assisted minimally invasive radical resection : The national multicenter phase III RAMIE study led by Shanghai Chest Hospital was published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology in 2026: Compared with traditional thoracoscopic surgery, robot-assisted radical resection of esophageal cancer increased the 5-year overall survival rate from 56% to 69%, with the survival rate of locally advanced patients increasing from 37.8% to 69.8%, and more thorough removal of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes.
  3. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy : For locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma that is not operable, radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) combined with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy has become a new direction; a multicenter real-world study published in 2025 showed that this combination mode can further improve long-term survival, and the relevant radiation dose and timing of combination are still being explored and optimized according to the CSCO esophageal cancer guidelines (2025 edition).
  4. Minimally invasive single-port surgery : In 2025, the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai began performing transcervical and abdominal double single-port esophagectomy. This procedure involves making only one 3-4 cm incision in the neck and one in the abdomen to complete the freeing, resection, anastomosis, and lymph node dissection. No thoracic cavity is entered, and no drainage tube is placed. Patients with poor lung function can also tolerate it.
  5. Standardization of robotic surgery : China took the lead in formulating the first international expert consensus on robotic esophageal cancer surgery and established China's first clinical demonstration center for robotic esophageal surgery. In 2026, top-tier hospitals such as Beijing Friendship Hospital began to carry out the da Vinci robot-assisted McKeown esophagectomy, promoting the standardized promotion of robotic minimally invasive surgery nationwide.

Care Overview

esophageal cancer Treatment in China

The medical team will develop a personalized protocol based on the pathology type, stage, genetic test, previous treatment history, and the patient's physical condition.

Leading Specialists

Trusted Expertise Across Leading Specialties

Li Jingnan

Professor , specializing in colorectal cancer screening and neuroendocrine tumors

Gastroenterology

Research areas: carcinogenesis mechanisms, clinical screening and prevention of colon polyps and colorectal cancer; neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal pancreas. Cutting-edge technology: Long-term research on the treatment of colon polyps and the screening, prevention, and carcinogenesis mechanisms of colorectal cancer (Visiting Scholar at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School). Led the compilation of national expert consensus on neuroendocrine tumors and gastrointestinal mucosa

Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences logo Affiliated Hospital Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Ni Quanxing

Chief Physician, Professor, Founder of the Discipline

Gastroenterology

Research areas : Basic and clinical research on pancreatic tumors, comprehensive treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer; Cutting-edge technology: Establishment of a multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment system for pancreatic cancer; Areas of expertise: Pancreatic cancer, ampullary cancer, and tumors at the bile duct-pancreatic junction; Academic highlights: A leading authority on pancreatic tumors in China, and Director of the Academic Committee of the Shanghai Pancreatic Tumor Institute; Core values

Fudan University Cancer Hospital logo Affiliated Hospital Fudan University Cancer Hospital
Ji Ming

Professor – Specializing in Interventional Digestive Endoscopy

Gastroenterology

Research areas: Endoscopic interventional (minimally invasive) diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases, including endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of early gastrointestinal cancers, pancreatic and biliary diseases, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Cutting-edge technology: Proficient in interventional (minimally invasive) endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of digestive tract cancers, with extensive experience in endoscopic treatment of early gastrointestinal cancers and pancreatic and biliary disease

Beijing Friendship Hospital (Second Clinical Medical College), Capital Medical University logo Affiliated Hospital Beijing Friendship Hospital (Second Clinical Medical College), Capital Medical University
Wu Bin

Specializing in Colorectal Tumor Surgery and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Gastroenterology

Research areas: Surgical treatment of colorectal tumors and surgical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Cutting-edge technology: Participated in laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer and surgical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in the professional group, and participated in multiple national multicenter clinical studies. Specializes in treating: colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), and intestinal obstruction. Academic Hi

Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences logo Affiliated Hospital Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Li Peng

Chief Physician, Professor, Director of the Digestive Center

Gastroenterology

Research areas : early gastrointestinal cancer, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), pancreatic and biliary diseases; Cutting-edge technology: EUS for precise diagnosis of pancreatic tumors and intramural lesions of the gastrointestinal tract; Areas of expertise: early esophageal/gastric cancer, pancreatic lesions, common bile duct stones; Academic highlights: Dean of the School of Digestive Health, Capital Medical University; Core value: Establishing standardized clinical pathways for early gastrointestinal canc

Beijing Friendship Hospital (Second Clinical Medical College), Capital Medical University logo Affiliated Hospital Beijing Friendship Hospital (Second Clinical Medical College), Capital Medical University
Xu Jin

Chief Physician, Professor

Gastroenterology

Research Areas : Neoadjuvant conversion therapy for pancreatic cancer, peritoneal metastasis of pancreatic cancer; Cutting-edge Technology: Neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer + HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal perfusion) combined regimen; Areas of Expertise: Locally advanced pancreatic cancer, peritoneal metastasis of pancreatic cancer, periampullary cancer; Academic Highlights: Key expert in pancreatic cancer conversion therapy; Core Value: Improved screening criteria for conversion surgery in

Fudan University Cancer Hospital logo Affiliated Hospital Fudan University Cancer Hospital

Patient Stories

See the Next Step Through Patient Journeys

Giant Pancreatic Pseudocyst : A Hidden Danger After an CASE 01
PATIENT JOURNEY

Giant Pancreatic Pseudocyst : A Hidden Danger After an "Emergency" - How a Russian Patient Dissolved a Fluid-Filled Sac in His Abdomen Using "Scarless" Endoscopic Techniques in China

Gastroenterology

Patient records Name: Elena Age: 62 years old Nationality: Russian Diagnosis: Recovery phase of severe acute pancreatitis, giant pancreatic pseudocyst (15cm in diameter). Treatment hospital: Department of Pancreatic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University. After surviving the life-or-death ordeal of acute pancreatitis, some patients face a troublesome sequela — pancreatic pseudocysts. This fluid-filled "sac" is like a time bomb, potentially causing infection, rupture, or compression of surroundi

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Chronic Pancreatitis : A German Engineer's Journey to Pain Relief - How We Helped Him End Years of Severe Pain Using Endoscopic Techniques CASE 02
PATIENT JOURNEY

Chronic Pancreatitis : A German Engineer's Journey to Pain Relief - How We Helped Him End Years of Severe Pain Using Endoscopic Techniques

Gastroenterology

Patient records Name: Hans Age: 52 years old Nationality: German Diagnosis: Chronic alcoholic pancreatitis, multiple pancreatic duct stones, dilation of the main pancreatic duct (diameter >1cm), and intractable abdominal pain. Treatment Hospital: Pancreatic Center, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine For patients with chronic pancreatitis, the recurring, deep-seated abdominal pain is an indescribable torment. Hans's story tells how he ended years of pain in China

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Crohn's Disease-Related Bowel Obstruction : How a British Patient Finds a CASE 03
PATIENT JOURNEY

Crohn's Disease-Related Bowel Obstruction : How a British Patient Finds a "Balance on a Knife's Edge" in China When "Green Cancer" Repeatedly Causes Obstruction

GastroenterologySurgery

Patient records Name: David Age: 35 Nationality: British Diagnosis: Crohn's disease (ileocolic type, stricture type), recurrent small bowel obstruction Treatment Hospital: Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Crohn's disease, known as the "green cancer," is incurable and recurrent, leading to serious complications such as intestinal stenosis, perforation, and fistulas. David's story tells how he found a precise balance between "over-operation" and "recurrent obstr

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