Endobronchial stenting as a palliation for advanced esophageal cancer.
Three cases of airway invasion of esophageal cancer treated palliatively by endobronchial stenting are reported. In case 1 (a 60-year-old male) expandable metallic stents were inserted into the totally occluded left main bronchus. In case 2 (a 45-year-old male) a Dumon stent was inserted into the totally occluded left main bronchus. Both patients recovered from performance status 4 to performance status 1 or 0 and were in good condition before they died of cancer, 150 and 54 days after stenting in cases 1 and 2, respectively. In case 3, a Dumon stent was inserted into the left main bronchus before total occlusion. The patient recovered from performance status 3 or 2 to performance status 1 or 0 and survived 40 days after stenting with no signs of airway obstruction. Endobronchial stenting is a useful palliation for keeping the performance status at a good level in patients with esophageal cancer obstructing or narrowing the main airway.
Fujii
H
H
Second Department of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
Tokuhara
T
T
Osugi
H
H
Kinoshita
H
H
Higashino
M
M
Iioka
S
S
D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D001980:Bronchi; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D015607:Stents