Esophageal Cancer Diagnosis

Biopsy
A biopsy is when your doctor looks at your actual tissue. Biopsies for esophageal cancer are usually done with an endoscope (a thin, lighted tube) that lets your doctor see the inside of the esophagus. After you take an anesthetic to relax you, your doctor puts the endoscope through your mouth and into your esophagus, giving a clear picture of the esophagus and what’s inside it.

Your doctor will take a small sample of tissue from the tumor so it can be looked at. After the biopsy, a doctor who specializes in esophageal cancer looks at the cells under a microscope and does other tests to learn more about the tumor.