Endoscopic palliative tube and laser therapy in advanced cancer of the esophagus and cardia

: The treatment of patients with advanced carcinomas of esophagus and gastric cardia endoscopic palliation should restore the passage for normal oral uptake. We compared the results of two methods: endoscopic neodym-YAG-laser-therapy (group I: 24 patients) and endoscopic perturbation (group II: 56 patients). An initial recanalisation was achieved after 1-4 sessions in group I and after 1-2 sessions in group II. Recurrence of dysphagia caused in median 5 endoscopic interventions in group I and 2 in group II. We observed no complications in group I and 5 complications in group II. The median survival times were not significantly different. The results and the follow-up show no definite superiority of one of the two methods, the selection of treatment modality depends on the technical possibilities and the personal experience of the physicians.