If esophageal cancer spreads

Cancer cells can spread from the esophagus to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis. Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If esophageal cancer spreads, it can spread to the following:

  • lymph nodes around the esophagus
  • lymph nodes in the neck or upper chest
  • lymph nodes in the lower chest or around the stomach
  • lymph nodes in the abdomen
  • windpipe (trachea)
  • vocal cords
  • main artery leading from the heart (aorta)
  • pericardium
  • stomach
  • liver
  • adrenal glands
  • lung
  • bone
  • brain

Expert review and references

  • National Cancer Institute. Esophageal Cancer Treatment (PDQ®) Patient Version. 2018.
  • Abbas G, Krasna M . Overview of esophageal cancer. Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery. 2017.
  • Posner MC, Minsky BD, Ilson DH . Cancer of the esophagus. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015: 45:574-612.