[Palliative treatment of cancer of the esophagus and cardia by laser photo-ablation].

The results of the palliative treatment by laser photo-ablation for esophageal and gastric cancers in 79 nonsurgical patients are reported. The aim of treatment was to relieve dysphagia in 60 patients with an obstructive tumor, to maintain esophageal lumen patency in 8 patients with a nonobstructive tumor, and to completely destroy 11 small tumors. The success rate in the patients with dysphagia was 78 p. 100. Functional improvement lasted as long as patients survived with further treatment required once or twice a month. The best results were obtained in exophytic, non circumferential lesions, and in adenocarcinomas of the esophagogastric junction. The localization at the upper third of the esophagus was associated with poor prognosis. The complication rate was 6.6 p. 100. Eight of the 11 small lesions were completely destroyed, but radiation therapy had been associated in four cases with invasive cancer, one of which recurred after 6 months. No complications occurred in this last group of patients.