Whether esophageal cancer patients can be treated surgically or not mainly depends on which stage of esophageal cancer has developed and the patient’s own physical condition. But in principle, if surgery can be done, surgery should be pursued. (1) Early stage esophageal carcinoma in situ can be treated surgically; (2) Early stage esophageal carcinoma, i.e. carcinoma in the middle and lower esophagus within 5CM, and carcinoma in the upper esophagus within 3CM, is suitable for surgery; (3) Middle stage esophageal carcinoma, with lesions above 5CM and without lymph node metastasis in the neck, can be treated surgically, preferably combined with preoperative radiation therapy; (4) For Those with esophageal recurrence after radiotherapy, if the lesion range is small. (2) Patients who are not suitable for surgery: (1) Esophageal cancer is already in advanced stage, the cancer has obviously invaded trachea, aortic arch, lung, etc., or there is hoarseness and persistent chest and back pain. Because surgery is often unable to remove the tumor. (2) Patients with esophageal cancer have enlarged lymph nodes in the neck and liver metastasis. Even if the primary lesion is removed, metastatic cancer will appear in other parts soon. (3) Patients with serious heart disease or poor lung function, such as emphysema, pulmonary alveoli, etc. Since esophageal cancer surgery is a major surgery, it is difficult for patients with poor heart and lung function to safely pass the surgery. What about esophageal cancer patients who cannot be removed surgically? The main reasons why esophageal cancer cannot be treated surgically are that the esophageal cancer is already advanced, the esophageal cancer is large and located in the cervical or upper thoracic segment, or the general condition is not good enough to tolerate surgery. The following methods are available for the treatment of such patients, and the specific method should be decided by doctors. 1.Radiation therapy: It is applicable to cervical and upper thoracic esophageal cancer which cannot be removed surgically. The 5-year survival rate can reach 15-30%, and some patients can be treated with surgery after radiotherapy. 2.Palliative surgery: The greatest pain of advanced esophageal cancer is that the lesion is narrow and obstructed, so that the patient cannot eat, or even cannot swallow water in serious cases, and cannot be treated by surgery or radiotherapy. In order to solve the patient’s feeding, improve nutrition and general condition, palliative surgery can be performed. The main ones are: (1) Gastrostomy, where the diet is injected through the gastric tube. (2) Esophagogastric short-circuit surgery, which is suitable for esophageal cancer that cannot be removed after open-heart surgery, and connects the stomach to the esophagus of the upper part of the cancer. The patient can eat more normally after the operation. 3. Endoscopic treatment of esophageal cancer: (1) Endoscopic esophageal dilatation and esophageal endotomy. (1) Endoscopic esophageal dilation and endoesophageal intubation, i.e., through esophagoscopy, the esophagus is dilated in the narrowed section caused by cancer, and a hollow tube is placed so that food can pass into the tube, thus solving the patient’s dietary difficulties. After the whole body nutritional status is improved, radiation therapy or chemotherapy can be done again. (2) Endoscopic laser treatment. Laser treatment is applied under esophagoscope to vaporize the cancerous tissues that are obviously protruding from the esophageal lumen, thus allowing the esophagus to be opened and the patient to eat. Although laser treatment can treat early-stage esophageal cancer, it is generally used only for advanced esophageal cancer. (3) Endoscopic microwave therapy. Under the guidance of esophageal endoscope, microwave heating is used to necrotize and dislodge the cancer protruding from the lumen of esophagus, so that the lumen of esophagus can be opened. This method is only applicable to units without laser treatment. (4) Endoscopic local injection of anti-cancer drugs. The biggest advantage of this method is the high concentration of drugs in the tumor site, strong effect and small systemic side effects. The effect of advanced esophageal cancer is not good because of obvious tumor spreading, while the efficacy is better for those who are not suitable for surgery in early stage of esophageal cancer. 4.Chinese medicine treatment : This method can only play the role of relieving the disease and cannot achieve the purpose of radical cure, but the combination of Chinese and Western treatment is beneficial to prolong the survival time.