According to power analysis, 90 patients have to be included in the trial. A multicenter approach was chosen to finish the study within 3 years. Respective to the average number of operations per institution and year, the following distribution is planned: Triemli Hospital 40, University Hospital Basel 30, Kantonsspital Lucerne 20. Inclusion criteria for this trial are patients undergoing thoraco-abdomino-cervical or abdomino-thoracic esophagectomy for cancer between 20 and 90 years and given informed consent. Exclusion criteria are known allergy or hypersensitivity to NAC and pregnancy. Patients are randomised to receive either high dose N-Acetylcysteine administered perioperatively and postoperatively for three days (150mg/kg perioperatively and 50mg/kg days 1-3) or placebo (glucose 5%).