Purpose: The current study was designed to investigate the primary efficacy of esophageal irradiation stents coated with 125I particles in the treatment of elderly patients with advanced esophageal cancer.
Methods: Forty-three elderly patients with advanced esophageal cancer were treated with esophageal stents in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University between September 2009 and December 2010. Patients were randomly divided into group A (N=18), treated with irradiation stents, and group B (N=25), treated with ordinary stents. There were no significant intergroup differences in age, lesion length, degree of stenosis, or cancer stage. The stent implantation success rate, relief of dysphagia and complication rate, and survival were assessed.
Results: The stent implantation success and short-term dysphagia relief rates were 100.0% in both groups. The mean survival time was 9.8 months and 4.8 months in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.01). However, no significant difference in pain (5/18) or esophageal restenosis (7/25) was found (both p>0.05).
Conclusion: Dysphagia was relieved and survival was prolonged in advanced esophageal cancer cases treated with 125I particle-coated esophageal stents. This method may be superior to the traditional stents method.