Update: modern approaches to the treatment of localized esophageal cancer.

The optimal treatment strategy for esophageal cancer continues to be a topic of debate. Improvements in chemotherapy drugs, surgical techniques, and radiotherapy planning and delivery have led to the design of treatment approaches that are specific to both the stage of the tumor and the overall performance status of the patient. Surgery continues to be the standard treatment option for localized disease, but multimodality treatments that include radiation and chemotherapy with surgery are increasingly used.