title: A prospective comparison of laser therapy and intubation in endoscopic palliation for malignant dysphagia.
abstract: There is little objective long-term follow-up comparing laser therapy with intubation for palliation of malignant dysphagia. In a prospective, nonrandomized two-center trial 43 patients treated with the neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser were compared with 30 patients treated by endoscopic intubation; the two groups were comparable for mean age and tumor position, length, and histology. Dysphagia was graded from 0 to 4 (0, normal swallowing; 4, dysphagia for liquids). Pretreatment mean dysphagia grades were similar: laser-treated group, 2.9 (SD, 0.6); intubated group, 3.2 (SD, 0.55). For thoracic esophageal tumors, the percentage of patients achieving an improvement in dysphagia grade by greater than or equal to 1 grade initially and over the long term was similar (laser, 95% and 77%; intubation, 100% and 86%). For tumors crossing the cardia, intubation was significantly better (laser, 59% and 50%; intubation, 100% and 92%, respectively; P less than 0.001). In patients palliated over a long period, however, the mean dysphagia grade over the remainder of their mean dysphagia grade over the remainder of their lives (mean survival: laser, 6.1 months; intubation, 5.1 months) was better in the laser group (1.6 vs. 2.0; P less than 0.01); 33% of laser-treated and 11% of intubated patients could eat most or all solids (P less than 0.05). For long-term palliation, laser-treated patients required on average more procedures (4.6 vs. 1.4; P less than 0.05) and days in the hospital (14 vs. 9; P less than 0.05). The perforation rate was lower in the laser-treated group (2% vs. 13%; P less than 0.02); no treatment-related deaths occurred in either group. For individual patients, the best results are likely to be achieved when the two techniques are used in a complementary fashion in specialist centers.
authors.affiliation: National Medical Laser Centre, University College Hospital, London, England.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Loizou
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grigg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Bown
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D004947:Esophagus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007440:Intubation / Q000009:adverse effects; D053685:Laser Therapy; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*