Abstract
Nd:YAG laser therapy is an attractive palliative treatment for carcinoma of the esophagus and gastric cardia. Twenty-five patients with these tumors underwent laser therapy over a 2-year period, receiving a total of 52 courses of therapy with 189 treatments. Treatments per course averaged 3.6, with a mean of two courses per patient. Luminal diameter is increased with this method; symptomatic improvement in dysphagia occurred in all patients after one course of therapy. Radiographic improvement also is seen. The complication rate in this series was four (2.1%) of 189 procedures, consisting of one perforation, one tracheoesophageal fistula, one pneumopericardium, and one pneumoperitoneum without leak.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 519-522 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | American Journal of Roentgenology |
| Volume | 146 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1986 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging