Esophageal Cancer Treatment in Shanghai: 2026 International Patient Guide

Global Leader in Robotic Esophagectomy

Shanghai Chest Hospital (上海市胸科医院) has completed over 1,700 robot-assisted esophagectomies — the highest single-center volume globally, led by Prof. Li Zhigang (李志刚), ISDE vice-president.

Top Hospitals

Shanghai Chest Hospital — Prof. Li Zhigang, global #1 robotic esophagectomy center; NICE immunotherapy pioneer; organ preservation.

FUSCC — Prof. Zhao Kuaile (赵快乐), precision IFI radiotherapy, definitive chemoradiation (dCRT) for organ preservation; 2025 CSCO guideline core expert.

Treatment Options

Resectable: Minimally invasive/robotic esophagectomy (McKeown or Ivor Lewis), possibly with neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CROSS) or immunotherapy (CheckMate 577 adjuvant nivolumab).

Organ preservation: Definitive chemoradiation (dCRT) for selected patients; salvage surgery if needed.

Locally advanced: Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (e.g., camrelizumab + chemo) to improve R0 resection and pathological complete response.

Advanced/metastatic: PD-1 inhibitors (camrelizumab, sintilimab, tislelizumab — Chinese-developed, affordable) plus chemotherapy.

Cost Reference

Robotic esophagectomy: ¥120,000–200,000. Neoadjuvant therapy: ¥30,000–80,000 per cycle. Definitive chemoradiation: ¥150,000–300,000 total.