[Palliative treatment of cancer of the esophagus]

Personal experience in the treatment of patients with oesophageal cancer that cannot be radically operated is presented. The high incidence (50%) of this situation required the use of measures to improve survival conditions. Results speak in favour of prosthetic intubation of the oesophagus, preferably by the endoscopic route and in a carefully selected number of patients, in the course of major operations like palliative oesophago-gastroplasty.