Surgical and endoscopic palliation of esophageal carcinoma.

We reviewed the records of 732 patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma to determine the efficacy of palliative therapy. Palliative resection was performed in 156 patients. Hospital mortality was 9.6%, 1-year survival was 29.1%, and median survival was 7.8 months. Excellent or good palliative results were obtained in 78% of operative survivors. Bypass procedures were performed in 49 patients: hospital mortality was 20.4%, with a median survival of 6.2 months. Excellent or good palliative results were obtained in 71% of operative survivors. Intubation of the tumor was performed in 254 patients. Thirty-day mortality was 10.2%, and median survival was 4.0 months. No patient received excellent palliation. Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser therapy or photodynamic therapy was performed in 50 patients. No procedure-related deaths were recorded, and median survival was 4.1 months. Excellent or good results were obtained in 83% of patients. Lesser procedures were performed in 106 patients, and 117 had only staging examinations. Although surgical palliation of esophageal cancer with resection or bypass provides good results, the cost is high. Improvements in palliative results require reduction in operative mortality, increased accuracy of preoperative staging, continuing use of laser therapy, and increased use of chemotherapy alone or in combination with radiotherapy and operation.