XXXX : current staging strategies.

@entity1 @entity825 @entity5 @entity418 @entity7145
A @entity1 with suspected @entity418 represents a challenge to the treating physicians. Most @entity1 present with an advanced stage of disease, and in the majority of cases only palliative treatment can be offered. Various treatment modalities are available, which are applied according to the TNM stage of the disease and the performance status of the @entity1 . A precise histological diagnosis and highly accurate @entity5 staging of a @entity1 with @entity418 is a prerequisite for the selection of the most suitable treatment option. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has emerged as the most accurate diagnostic modality for locoregional staging. Problems in identifying early @entity5 stages or @entity5 strictures can be generally overcome by using miniprobe sonography (MPS). EUS/fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) technology provides a valuable means of identifying suspicious locoregional lymph nodes. @entity1 with a proximal @entity5 ( @entity825 bifurcation) should undergo bronchoscopy to rule out infiltration of the tracheobronchial system. Ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and possibly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the diagnostic tools of choice for extended @entity5 staging. After excluding extended @entity5 stage and severe concomitant diseases, diagnostic laparoscopy with intra-abdominal ultrasound should be performed in @entity1 with @entity7145 prior to esophagectomy. Intra-abdominal metastases which can be missed preoperatively in some cases have to be ruled out in order to avoid unnecessary surgery.
