[The efficacy of SEMS for malignant upper gastrointestinal stenosis, evaluated by a "home index"]

We used a self expandable metalic stent (SEMS) on 24 patients (average age 68.6 years, 20 males, 4 females) with malignant upper gastrointestinal stenosis from August, 1997 to March, 1999. The primary diseases of the 24 patients were gastric cancer (13 cases: 54%), esophageal cancer (10 cases: 42%) and paraesophageal lymph node metastasis of breast cancer (one case: 4%). In this study, we present a "Home Index" as an indicator to evaluate a patient's quality of life, and investigated the efficacy and problem of SEMS.