Does chemoradiation therapy increase the incidence of complications with self-expanding coated stents in the management of malignant esophageal strictures?
BACKGROUND
Expandable stents offer excellent palliation of malignant dysphagia and digestive-respiratory fistula. There are insufficient data regarding factors that may affect the complication rate of expandable stents, but an association between previous treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy and stent-related life-threatening complications has been suggested.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed our data on 60 patients; in all of them, a coated Wallstent had been successfully placed for malignant dysphagia and/or digestive-respiratory fistula. Our objective in this study was to determine the overall complication rate as well as whether previous or ongoing chemoradiation therapy increased the rate of life-threatening complications.


RESULTS
Among 21 patients with no previous chemotherapy or radiation therapy, two (9.5%) had life-threatening complications (both had bleeding tumors; blood transfusions were required in two and endoscopic hemostasis in one). Among 39 patients who had had either radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or both, life-threatening complications occurred in three (8%). Two of the three had gastrointestinal bleeding (two received blood transfusions, and one had external radiation therapy), and in the third, an esophageal tear was treated with the stent. There was no procedure- or stent-related mortality in either group.


CONCLUSIONS
Palliation of malignant dysphagia or digestive-respiratory fistulas with the coated Wallstent in patients with previous chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy is not associated with an increased risk of life-threatening complications.
Raijman
I
I
Division of Gastroenterology, University of Texas Health Science Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77004, USA.
Siddique
I
I
Lynch
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D004724:Endoscopy; D004867:Equipment Design; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006489:Hemostatic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014138:Tracheoesophageal Fistula / Q000628:therapy
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents