| Theme |
Current Status of Uprising Strategy for Esophageal Cancer Treatment |
| Title |
Palliative Treatments to Improve QOL for Patients with Highly Advanced Unresectable Esophageal Cancer |
| Author |
Makoto Iwahashi |
Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University |
| Author |
Mikihito Nakamori |
Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University |
| Author |
Masaki Nakamura |
Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University |
| Author |
Toshiyasu Ojima |
Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University |
| Author |
Teiji Naka |
Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University |
| Author |
Hiroki Yamaue |
Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University |
| [ Summary ] |
Various palliative treatments to improve QOL have been performed for patients with highly advanced unresectable esophageal cancer who have difficulty with oral intake. Stent therapy using self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) is now considered to be the first choice for those patients because of its safety and efficacy. On the other hand, the number of bypass procedures has decreased because of the high frequency of postoperative complications such as anastomotic leakage. However, bypass procedures can help to improve solid food ingestion for some patients. Also, the usefulness of endoscopic ablation therapy such as the photodynamic therapy (PDT) or argon plasma coagulation (APC) has also been reported. We must properly evaluate clinical conditions associated with individual patient to choose optimal treatment modalities. |