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Palliative therapy for esophageal cancer: laser therapy alone is associated with a better functional outcome

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Abstract

The aim of our study was to compare functional outcome and survival in patients who underwent laser therapy (LT) or laser therapy and esophageal stenting (LTES) to palliate inoperable esophageal cancer. Two hundred and twenty-seven consecutive patients who had endoscopic palliation for esophageal cancer were enrolled in this retrospective study. One hundred and sixty-four underwent LT alone and 63 had LTES. A dysphagia score was adopted (0: absolute dysphagia; 1: liquid diet; 2: semisolid diet; 3: free diet). Survival analysis and non parametric statistics were performed. Patients in the LTES group reported a significantly worse dysphagia score than LT patients (p < 0.01). LTES patients more frequently reported difficulty swallowing than LT patients (p < 0.01). No difference between LTES and LT groups was observed in terms of overall survival. Only radiotherapy resulted in a significant predictor of better survival (p = 0.007). Despite a similar survival, LTES is a predictor of a worse functional palliation than LT alone. Radiotherapy was associated with better survival in patients treated with LT. Therefore, these data seem to suggest that a combination of endoscopic LT and external radiotherapy may yield the best results in palliative care of advanced esophageal cancer.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Ms Christina Drace for her kind help in the final editing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Surgical Endoscopy Unit, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padova, via Giustinani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy

    Anna Pozza, Luigi Rampazzo & Lorenzo Norberto

  2. Clinica Chirurgica I, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padova, Padua, Italy

    Francesca R. Erroi & Lino Polese

  3. Surgical Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV-IRRCS), Padua, Italy

    Marco Scarpa

Authors
  1. Anna Pozza
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  2. Francesca R. Erroi
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  3. Marco Scarpa
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  4. Lino Polese
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  5. Luigi Rampazzo
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  6. Lorenzo Norberto
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Correspondence to Anna Pozza.

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Pozza, A., Erroi, F.R., Scarpa, M. et al. Palliative therapy for esophageal cancer: laser therapy alone is associated with a better functional outcome. Updates Surg 67, 61–67 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304-015-0277-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304-015-0277-4

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