Palliation in oesophageal neoplasia.

Oesophageal cancer is an increasingly common disease in the UK. Sadly, the overall results of treatment remain poor with overall 5 year survival of approximately 10%. More than 50% of patients receive purely palliative care from the outset. Of those having potentially curative treatment, 40% will not survive the first year and 70% will not survive 5 years. Good quality palliation is, therefore, required for the majority of patients.