Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser vaporization for palliation of obstructing esophageal carcinoma

Comparison of different treatments for unresectable esophageal cancer

Many patient with esophageal cancer have advanced disease that in not amenable to curative treatment. For these individuals the relief of dysphagia is of utmost importance to the quality of their remaining survival time. This article reviews and compares the methods of palliation with focus on indications and contraindications, advantages as well as disadvantages of each technique, success rates, and complications. Tumor characteristics, the physician's experience, the institution's capabilities, cost, and patient preference will influence choice of palliation. Methods are often complementary rather than competitive.

Laser therapy for esophageal cancer. Results and additional endoscopic treatments

Between 1/1/1988 and 5/31/1991, we treated 96 patients with laser therapy to the esophagus. In 61 inoperable patients, laser therapy has been performed initially. In 64% of these 61 patients, laser therapy alone gave sufficient relief of symptoms until death. However, in 36% of the patients, additional endoscopical interventions had to be performed. In 14 patients (23%), a prosthesis became necessary; 13 patients (21%) needed a percutaneous endoscopical gastrostomy. We conclude that laser therapy has an important role in the treatment of esophageal cancer, but in a significant number of patients, it might not be sufficient alone.

Subglottic plasmacytoma: the use of jet ventilation and contact Nd:YAG laser for tissue diagnosis

Extramedullary plasmacytomas (EMP) constitute only 1% of all head and neck malignancies, with the vast majority occurring in the upper respiratory tract. The diagnosis of laryngeal EMP can be difficult since the symptoms are non-specific and the tumor usually mucosally covered. This paper discusses the successful combination of jet Venturi ventilation technique with suspension microlaryngoscopy and contact Nd:YAG laser for tissue diagnosis in a patient presenting with a large subglottic mass. Previous attempts using standard endotracheal intubation and forceps technique for biopsy failed to reach the diagnosis and resulted in significant bleeding from the biopsy site. A review of the disease and technique is presented.

Combined endoscopic laser therapy and brachytherapy for palliation of oesophageal carcinoma: a pilot study

Palliative treatment for oesophageal malignancy aims to maximise symptom relief with minimal disturbance to the patient. Twenty one patients with oesophageal carcinoma were studied prospectively to assess the combined efficacy of laser and brachytherapy in the palliation of oesophageal carcinoma, 20 were unsuitable for resectional surgery because of tumour extent and one patient underwent the treatment protocol after myocardial infarction, for symptom relief before resection. Two patients died at hospital and the remaining 19 survived from 9 to 455 days (mean 140 days). All patients tolerated the procedure well and improvement in swallowing was noted in 19 who survived the procedure--an improvement that was maintained until their death. However, five patients required oesophageal dilatation after the initial treatment. Results were not affected by the histology of the tumour. In summary, combined endoscopic laser and brachytherapy is effective palliation for oesophageal carcinoma and may be particularly appropriate in those patients with cervical and upper thoracic tumours in whom intubation may be unsatisfactory.