Palliating late-stage esophageal cancer

Palliation for those with advanced cancer of the esophagus ideally should relieve dysphagia, stop aspiration, and sustain nutrition and hydration. Esophageal intubation with a Celestin prosthesis combined with Janeway gastrotomy is an excellent method for relieving the symptoms of advanced malignancy of the middle and lower thirds of the esophagus. Because intubation and gastrostomy do not require elaborate surgical facilities they can be performed in the community hospital. Although we have carried out the procedure in a small number of patients, palliation achieved has been such that we advocate intubation and gastrostomy as a quick and uncomplicated way to alleviate the symptoms of esophageal cancer patients with late-stage disease.