Original articleClinical endoscopyPlacement of Polyflex stents in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer is safe and improves dysphagia during neoadjuvant therapy
Section snippets
Patients
This study was performed at the University of Utah School of Medicine/Huntsman Cancer Center. Between April 2006 and November 2007, patients referred for EUS staging who met entry criteria were enrolled in the study. Patients were observed until death or stent removal, or until 6 months had elapsed after stent placement (whichever came first). Informed consent was obtained before EUS. Inclusion criteria were the following: (1) patients ≥18 years of age, with biopsy-confirmed esophageal cancer
Results
During the study period, 31 patients were referred for evaluation of esophageal cancer. Patients with disease that was unresectable at presentation were not offered enrollment in the study. All patients who were potential surgical candidates and in whom neoadjuvant therapy was planned were offered enrollment, and this constituted the 13 patients who met entry criteria and were enrolled in the study. All patients were men, with a mean (SD) age of 63.3 ± 12.3 years (range 45-83 years). Eleven
Discussion
Most patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer have malignant dysphagia, and the current standard of care in the United States is to offer these patients neoadjuvant therapy.7, 8 The goal of such therapy is to decrease tumor burden and to eradicate malignant lymphadenopathy.9 Neoadjuvant therapy can improve dysphagia symptoms via decreasing tumor size and increasing the esophageal luminal diameter, but this can take time. In addition, some patients will experience a worsening of their
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DISCLOSURE: All authors disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this publication.
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