The purpose of this clinical study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of airway stent implantation and transarterial infusion chemotherapy in the sequential treatment of severe airway stenosis caused by esophageal cancer. Data of patients with advanced esophageal cancer complicated by severe airway stenosis treated with airway stent implantation and transarterial infusion chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Furthermore, dyspnea, clinical efficacy, adverse reactions, and survival of patients were evaluated. 71 patients were included in this study. There were 28 patients with grade III dyspnea and 43 patients with grade IV dyspnea before airway stent implantation, and 34 patients with grade I dyspnea, 35 patients with grade II dyspnea and 2 patients with grade III dyspnea after airway stent implantation. After airway stent implantation and 1-3 courses of transarterial infusion chemotherapy, 11, 41 and 19 patients had complete response, partial response and stable response respectively. Total disease control rate (DCR) and objective response rate (ORR) were 100.0% and 73.2%, respectively. During the follow-up, 32 patients died of organ failure, 24 patients died of tumor-related respiratory failure, and 10 patients died of gastrointestinal bleeding. The median survival time of all patients was 8 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 40.8%. Airway stent implantation combined with arterial infusion chemotherapy is safe and effective for sequential treatment of esophageal cancer with severe airway stenosis.
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