title: Implantation of self-expanding metallic stent for patients with malignant stricture after failure of definitive chemoradiotherapy for T3 or T4 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Definitive chemoradiotherapy can have curative potential in unresectable patients with malignant stricture due to locally advanced esophageal carcinoma, however, dysphagia is the principal problem in patients who had recurrence or who did not respond to chemoradiotherapy. In this prospective study, we investigated the efficacy and feasibility of metallic stent implantation for patients with dysphagia after chemoradiotherapy failed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Concurrent chemoradiotherapy was performed in 40 patients with severe dysphagia due to esophageal squamous cell carcinomas accompanied by T3 or T4 disease containing M1 lymph node (LYM) disease. A self-expanding metallic stent was inserted for patients with malignant stricture of the thoracic esophagus after failure of chemoradiotherapy using identical protocols.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 40 patients, 13 (33%) achieved a complete response. However, 12 patients complained of severe dysphagia again after chemoradiotherapy despite a good performance status. Esophageal stricture of these 12 patients was caused by stable disease (n = 4), local progression (n = 5), and compression of metastatic lymph node (n = 3). Metallic stents were successfully inserted for all 12 patients, and dysphagia improved in 10 (83%) of these 12 patients. Life-threatening complication (17%) of sepsis in two patients was found in an early phase after stent insertion, although approximately 200 days had passed in a dysphagia-free state after chemoradiotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implantation of self-expanding metallic stent for patients with malignant stricture after failure of chemoradiotherapy is effective, however, serious complication can occur in the early phase.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8, Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8666, Japan. gikaneko@med.showa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurahashi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katagiri
authors.forename: Kohzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayose
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitahara
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohtsu
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitamura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D015607:Stents; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005472:Fluorouracil