Is surgery the only effective treatment for esophageal cancer?

No: Therapy for esophageal cancer is dependent on the stage. There are IV relative stages. In the physically fit patient, the upfront therapy for stage i and iia is surgery. For stages iib and iii, the therapy of choice is chemoradiation followed by surgery. For stage iv, chemotherapy +/- radiation and no surgery. In the patient in poor physical condition, chemoradiotherapy without surgery.

No: There are multiple therapies available for esophageal carcinoma, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, laser, photo-dynamic therapy, and other. For curative intent, with appropriately selected patients, surgery is still the best chance for cure.