Palliative bipolar electrocoagulation treatment of malignant gastroesophageal strictures.
Seventeen patients with non-resectable circumferential malignant strictures of the esophagus (n = 13) or the gastroesophageal junction (n = 4) were treated with a bipolar electrocoagulation tumor probe (BICAP). None had received prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy. The mean tumor length was 7.2 cm. After treatment swallowing was improved in 86.7% of the patients. The mean duration of response to the first treatment was 18 days. Three major complications (1 fatal hemorrhage, 2 tracheoesophageal fistulae) and two minor complications (chest pain) were observed. The overall actuarial survival rate after 13 months of follow-up was 20%. The BICAP tumor probe can be considered an efficacious and safe device in selected patients with long, circumferential esophageal cancers.
Conio
M
M
Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Università di Genova, Viale, Italy.
Bonelli
L
L
Martines
H
H
Munizzi
F
F
Aste
H
H
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D003679:Deglutition; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000379:methods*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life