Can esophageal cancer be cured? Esophageal cancer is generally divided into three stages: early, middle and late. If we say which stage has the best treatment effect, we can tell you for sure that it is certainly early stage. Early stage malignant tumor has not spread, which provides a favorable condition. The further it develops, the more difficult it is to cure esophageal cancer, so experts suggest that we should have timely examination and treatment when it appears in early stage in any case. The cure rate of esophageal cancer can usually reach 80% if it can be detected at early stage and receive timely treatment. Thus, it is recognized internationally as the most effective tumor prevention and treatment measure for healthy people to conduct regular disease screening to achieve early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of tumor. The proliferation cycle of normal esophageal epithelial cells is the longest in the human digestive tract. It takes about 1~2 years for the process of esophageal basal cells from heavy hyperplasia to carcinoma; it usually takes 2~3 years or even longer for early stage esophageal cancer (cancer cells are found in cytological examination, but normal or only mild lesions in X-ray esophageal mucosal imaging) to become advanced invasive cancer; individual cases can even “survive with cancer” for 6 years. Some cases can even “survive with cancer” for more than 6 years. Therefore, the early treatment of esophageal cancer is effective. Even if the disease is advanced, if treated properly, it can be transformed for the better. Generally speaking, surgery is recommended for early stage lesions; for more advanced lesions and those located in the middle and upper segments with high youth or contraindications to surgery, radiation therapy is preferred.