Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically proven adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic
esophagus (at least 20 cm from incisors) or gastroesophageal junction

- Stage T1-3, N0-1, M0-1a

- Amenable to curative surgery

- No proximal esophageal cancer (less than 20 cm from incisors) potentially
requiring pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy

- Regional lymph node involvement allowed

- No unresectable locoregional invasion

- No distant metastatic disease including any or all of the following:

- Positive cytology of the pleura, pericardium, or peritoneum

- Metastasis to the brain, bone, lung, liver, or adrenals

- Involvement of the tracheobronchial tree (positive bronchoscopic biopsy or overt
esophagorespiratory fistula)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- Not specified

Life expectancy:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- Not specified

Hepatic:

- Not specified

Renal:

- Not specified

Other:

- No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (fasting blood glucose greater than 200mg/dL)
within 12 hours prior to PET scan (no diabetic medications within 4 hours prior to
checking blood glucose level)

- Able to fast for at least 4 hours

- Able to tolerate PET imaging

- Not claustrophobic

- Able to lie supine for 1.5 hours

- Not pregnant

- Negative pregnancy test

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except completely resected cervical
cancer or nonmelanomatous skin cancer and prior malignancy at low risk of recurrence

- Medically fit for staging procedures or esophagectomy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy allowed if administered after
fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography (PET) imaging

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- See Chemotherapy

- Neoadjuvant radiotherapy allowed if administered after fludeoxyglucose F 18 PET
imaging

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics

Other:

- No prior fludeoxyglucose F 18 PET imaging

- Concurrent enrollment in other clinical trials allowed except those involving
fludeoxyglucose F 18 PET imaging