Publication at Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové |
2006
Abstract
The prognosis of inoperable carcinomas of esophagus is poor, and therapeutic efforts are generally limited to palliation. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness of intraluminal high dose rate brachytherapy in the palliative treatment of tumorous esophageal stenoses.
METHODOLOGY: Between February 1997 and July 2002 intraluminal brachytherapy was performed in 19 patients with inoperable esophageal carcinoma. RESULTS: Dysphagia was improved in all patients.
The mean survival was 248 days. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience indicates that intraluminal brachytherapy is an effective and safe method of palliation of dysphagia caused by malignant esophageal stenosis.