Is surgery recommended for esophageal cancer in 72 year olds

Surgery may be considered if the patient has good general condition and cardiopulmonary reserve and no obvious signs of distant metastasis. If the underlying disease is more and cannot tolerate surgery, surgery is not recommended. For larger squamous carcinoma with low estimated resection possibility and good general condition, preoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be done first, and then surgery can be performed after the tumor shrinks. For advanced esophageal cancer, which cannot be treated radically or radiologically and has difficulty in eating, palliative surgery, such as gastrostomy or jejunostomy, esophageal lumen intubation, esophageal bypass and so on, can be performed in order to achieve the purpose of improving nutrition and prolonging life. For patients with more cardiopulmonary and other underlying diseases, who cannot tolerate surgery, or whose condition has progressed to the point where surgery is not suitable, surgery is not recommended, and radiotherapy, targeted drugs or immunotherapy can be administered according to the condition. Patients should go to the hospital and complete relevant examinations to clarify the type and stage of esophageal cancer, etc. Doctors will formulate a treatment plan according to the patient’s comprehensive situation, and patients should actively cooperate with the treatment.