| [ Summary ] |
The esophageal stent has been recognized to be highly useful for treatment of stenosis or fistula, due to malignant diseases of the esophagus. The indications for chemoradiotherapy, for esophageal cancer, are increasing, and cases of stent insertion, after chemoradiotherapy, are expected to increase in the future. Stents used today are likely to cause severe complications, such as perforation or hemorrhage when used after chemoradiotherapy. Paradoxically, however, no effective treatments other than the stent are available for stenosis or perforation. There is the risk of reflux of gastric juice and removal of the stent, if the lesion extends in to the cardiac region. Furthermore, stent insertion in the cervical esophagus has not been established as a treatment. Improvements in the stent are needed to solve these problems. |