Role of mitomycin in upper digestive tract stricture
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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

ADSC-sheet Transplantation to Prevent Stricture after Extended Esophageal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection
Published on: February 10, 2017
M Boyd Gillespie1, Terry A Day, Anand K Sharma
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. gillesmb@musc.edu
Background:
Mitomycin C is an anti-fibroblast chemotherapeutic agent that has demonstrated promise in the treatment of head and neck cancer-related cervical stenosis. The present study investigates whether the application of mitomycin C at the time of dilation is both safe and effective in the treatment of head and neck cancer-related upper digestive tract stricture.
Methods:
Twelve patients with progressive dysphagia and video-fluoroscopic evidence of upper digestive tract stricture after head and neck cancer treatment were dilated by Maloney or Savory dilators followed by the application of mitomycin C (0.2 mg/0.4 mL saline) to the stenotic segment for 5 minutes. Outcome measures included complication rate, improvement in baseline dietary consistency, and improvement in swallowing-related quality of life as measured by the M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory.
Results:
All patients experienced improvement in their baseline dietary consistency (p = .002) and M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory composite score (p = .001) after a mean follow-up time of 19 months. No complications from mitomycin use were observed.
Conclusion:
Mitomycin application appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment for head and neck cancer-related upper digestive tract stricture. Given the small sample size and limited follow-up time, a randomized, controlled trial is needed to determine whether mitomycin application offers additional benefit over standard dilation therapy.
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