[Usefulness of esophageal prosthesis in inoperable esophageal cancer]

Radiotherapy of inoperable esophageal cancer provided palliation for dysphagia in only 40% of the patients treated over the past 5 years at our hospital. The remaining patients were unable to eat a regular diet even after radiotherapy and to provide them with nourishment, a gastrostomy and/or IVH were required. We feel that the release of the patient from a medical environment will lead to a better quality of remaining life. From our experience with a prosthesis tube for palliation of a malignant esophageal stricture, 4 patients showed excellent results with this way of improving their oral intake.