Current palliative modalities for esophageal carcinoma. Clinical review.

Esophageal carcinoma is often advanced at diagnosis, and management consequently can only be palliative, with relief of dysphagia and its consequences as the primary aim. The various methods for palliation are reviewed and their indications, advantages and drawbacks are discussed. If resection of the tumor is not feasible, YAG laser therapy seems to be the palliative method of choice in malignant dysphagia.