[Palliative treatment of cancers of the esophagus and cardia with neodymium YAG laser: short-term results and multidimensional analysis of factors related to functional improvement and tumor destruction].

The aim of this study was to report initial results of endoscopic Nd YAG laser therapy in palliative treatment of esophageal and cardial carcinoma and to define parameters that could predict initial outcome. Of 116 patients, 95 men and 21 women (mean age 68 years, range 33-94 years), 6 patients presented with inaccessible, completely obstructing squamous cell carcinoma. Of these 6 tumors, 5 were located in the cervical esophagus. Seventy-two patients with squamous cell carcinoma and 38 patients with adenocarcinoma were treated. Improvement of dysphagia was achieved in 90 of 110 patients (82 p. 100) after 2.8 sessions (range 2-7 sessions). Total destruction of the intraluminal tumor was achieved in 66 patients (60 p. 100) after 3.3 sessions, partial destruction in 36 patients (33 p. 100) after 4.3 sessions and treatment had no effect in 8 patients (7 p. 100) after 3.8 sessions. Forty-four of the 52 impassable stenoses with the Olympus GIFP3 endoscope were passed through with the Olympus GIFQ endoscope after 3.7 sessions. Six complications occurred: 1 esophageal perforation and 5 esobronchotracheal fistulas. Improvement of dysphagia and tumoral destruction were analyzed in two manners. Of 13 selected variables, 3 were significantly related with improvement of dysphagia after stepwise logistic regression: destruction of intraluminal tumor (p = 0.003), endoscopic fungating appearance (p = 0.03) and the age related type of surgical contraindication (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)