[Operative therapy of esophageal cancer. Palliative surgical methods and results]

Between 1969 and 1982, 38 out of 121 patients with oesophageal carcinoma underwent palliative surgery. Operatively in 22 patients a Celestin- or Häring-tube was inserted, gastrostomy was performed 10 times, palliative resection two times. Four times the obstruction was bypassed. 17 patient achieved additional radiation therapy. An analysis of data showed, that all operative palliative procedures had nearly the same bad prognosis (p greater than 0.265). A longer survival could be achieved by additional radiation therapy (p = 0.044). Postoperative mortality rate was higher in patients with additional diseases (p = 0.018). Lethal aspiration-pneumonitis was a common (30%) and typical (p = 0.031) complication, when gastrostomy was performed. Because oft the high mortality rate of the first and because of the missing crude palliation of the second operation, palliative resection and gastrostomy were considered to be not indicated in most cases.