Ferumoxytol-Enhanced MRI in Imaging Lymph Nodes in Patients With Stage IIB-IIIC Esophageal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Pathologically confirmed, locally advanced, malignancy of the esophagus; the cancer may involve the stomach up to 5 cm; based on multi-disciplinary tumor board discussion, patients are candidates for tri-modality treatment
* Stage T1-4aN1-2, by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 7th edition, based on the following minimum workup:

  * Computed tomography (CT) chest/abdomen with contrast
  * Positron emission tomography (PET)/CT of the whole-body or skull base to mid-thigh
  * Patients must have regional adenopathy and have undergone endoscopic biopsy with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-proven peri-esophageal nodal involvement
* Subjects must have had no prior therapy for cancer of the esophagus
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2 (Karnofsky \>= 60%)
* White blood cell count \>= 3.0 K/cu mm
* Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1.5 K/cu mm
* Platelets \>= 100 K/cu mm
* Hemoglobin \>= 8.0 g/dl (The use of transfusion or other invention to achieve Hemoglobin \[Hgb\] \>= 8.0 g/dl is acceptable)
* Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 X institutional upper limit of normal
* Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal
* Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 for subjects with creatinine levels above institutional normal
* Serum ferritin \< 2.0 X institutional upper limit of normal
* Woman of childbearing potential, a negative serum or urine pregnancy test
* Willingness to use adequate contraception for 12 months after completion of all therapy
* Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects with cervical or Siewert 3 esophageal carcinoma, that are recommended by the multi-disciplinary tumor board to have treatment other than tri-modality chemo-radiation therapy (RT) followed by esophagectomy
* Subjects with AJCC 7th edition stage TxN0, T4b, and M1 disease
* Prior systemic chemotherapy for esophageal cancer; prior chemotherapy for another malignancy is allowable as long as it has been \> 2 years since completion of therapy for previous malignancy
* History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to ferumoxytol or other agents used in the study
* Prior chest radiation or radiation for esophageal cancer
* History of other malignancy in the past 2 years except non-melanomatous skin cancer, breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and low-risk prostate adenocarcinoma
* Medical contraindications to esophagectomy
* Uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
* Pregnant women are excluded from this study because chemoradiotherapy has the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects; because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to the use of ferumoxytol as a contrast agent in the mother, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother receives ferumoxytol while nursing; men who are sexually active and not willing/able to use medically acceptable forms of contraception are also excluded from this study
* Subjects with multiple drug allergies and/or subjects who have had an allergic reaction to any intravenous iron replacement product or a known history of hypersensitivity to ferumoxytol
* Subjects with evidence of iron overload
* Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with ferumoxytol
* Patients with renal insufficiency; glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \< 60
* Adult patients who require monitored anesthesia for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning
* Subjects who have a contraindication for MRI: metal in their bodies (a cardiac pacemaker or other incompatible device), are severely agitated, or have an allergy to gadolinium (Gd) contrast material
* Subjects with known hepatic insufficiency or cirrhosis