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| The esophagus or gullet is a muscular canal, about 23 to 25
cm. long, extending from the pharynx to the stomach. It begins
in the neck at the lower border of the cricoid cartilage, opposite the sixth cervical vertebra, descends
along the front of the vertebral column, through the superior and posterior mediastinal,
passes through the diaphragm, and, entering the abdomen, ends at the cardiac orifice of
the stomach, opposite the eleventh thoracic vertebra. As it runs through the chest
it is close to vital structures like the lungs, and major blood vessels like the
aorta. As noted in this picture the trachea is also very close to the
esophagus and a site of possible spread or invasion. Other areas of spread include the
lymph nodes, lung and liver
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