Treatment of Stage IV Esophageal Cancer

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Treatment of stage IV esophageal squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma may include the following:

• Chemoradiation therapy followed by surgery.
• Chemotherapy.
• Immunotherapy with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (nivolumab) as adjuvant therapy.
• Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab and ipilimumab).
• Immunotherapy with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (nivolumab) and chemotherapy.
• Laser surgery or electrocoagulation as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
• An esophageal stent as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
• External or internal radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
• Clinical trials of chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.