title: High energy laser irradiation and electric surgery for obstructive gastrointestinal cancer.
abstract: A total of 35 patients with advanced obstructive gastrointestinal cancer received monopolar electrosurgery and Nd: YAG laser therapy from January 1985 to June 1988. These included 13 cases of esophageal cancer (U/3 6, M/3 2, L/3 5), 14 case of gastric cancer (cardia 7, corpus 3, antrum 4), and 8 cases of rectal cancer. Twenty (esophageal 9, stomach 8, rectal 3) of 35 patients had much improved results, with the size of the lesion reduced over 90%, and the endoscope could smoothly pass through the stenotic area after electrosurgery or laser therapy. The other 12 patients had partially improved results with the tumor size being reduced 50-90% and the patients could take semiliquid food easily. Both groups of much improved or partial improved had a statistically significant difference (P less than 0.01) compared to the group of failures to treatment. Two patients developed bleeding after treatment. Twenty-one patients died of causes other than complications of electrosurgery or laser therapy. The average survival was 6.8 months. Nd: YAG laser and electrosurgery can provide good palliative results and contribute to a good quality of life in advanced obstructive gastrointestinal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Shieu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004598:Electrosurgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*