[Endoscopic palliative treatment of tumors of the gastrointestinal tract].
Patients with nonresectable gastrointestinal tumors have a life expectancy of a few months only. Effective palliative treatment has to ensure a good quality of life with minimal morbidity and mortality. Esophageal carcinoma: Endoscopic intubation or stent implantation guarantee a prompt improvement of dysphagia with minimal morbidity and mortality in esophageal carcinoma. Only in cervical or noncircumferential stenosis laser therapy is preferable. Obstructive jaundice: Metal stents offer the best quality of life after palliative treatment of malignant obstructive jaundice. However, in patients with bad general conditions and a short life expectancy a pigtail catheter is less expensive. Colorectal cancer: Laser therapy and cryosurgery offer uncomplicated nonsurgical therapy in rectal carcinoma. Stents in the colorectum have a high complication rate. Endoscopic palliative treatment of gastrointestinal tumors can be performed with minimal morbidity and mortality. However, it is essential that a surgeon is involved in the decisionmaking between endoscopic or operative treatment.
Böttger
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Klinik und Poliklinik für Allgemein- und Abdominalchirurgie, Johannnes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz.
D019723:Endoscopes; D020776:Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care; D015607:Stents; D015996:Survival Rate