Between 1979 and 1989, 38 patients were treated for cancer of the oesophagus. 25% (21/38) of the patients underwent resection of the oesophagus with either curative or palliative measures. 12 patients were treated radically, of whom two (17%) have lived free of recurrence for more than five years. Radical thoracoabdominal oesophageal resection is recommended as long as the operative mortality is low. Careful preoperative evaluation is necessary to select patients who should be treated by palliative procedures, such as oesophageal resection, by-pass procedures, laser coagulation and/or local irradiation.