Endoscopic treatment of major bleeding from advanced gastroduodenal malignant lesions

To summarize the results of endoscopic therapy for acute hemorrhage from gastroduodenal malignant lesions.

The 3-year experience (1989 through 1991) of a specialized gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding team in the endoscopic treatment of acute upper GI bleeding from gastroduodenal malignant tumors was retrospectively reviewed.

Of 1,083 consecutive patients with acute major upper GI hemorrhage, 21 (1.9%) were found to have advanced tumors of the stomach and duodenum, 15 of whom received endoscopic therapy. In this study group of 15 patients, the tumors were gastric in 11 and duodenal in 4. Endoscopic treatment consisted of injection of epinephrine, heater probe coagulation, neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser coagulation, or injection of sodium tetradecyl sulfate.

Initial endoscopic hemostasis was achieved in 10 of the 15 patients (67%); however, bleeding recurred in 8 of 10 (80%), and all 5 in whom endoscopic hemostasis was not achieved continued to bleed. Mean transfusion requirements for the 30 days before and the 30 days after the first endoscopic treatment were 7.6 and 6.4 units of packed erythrocytes, respectively (P > 0.10). Five major procedure-related complications occurred, two of which were fatal. The median duration of survival after the first endoscopic treatment was 39 days (range, 1 to 1,414).

In patients with major bleeding from advanced gastroduodenal malignant lesions, endoscopic therapy seems to provide limited benefit.