Laser Therapy

Abstract

A review of the literature on the surgical treatment of oesophageal cancer in 83 783 patients found that 58% were explored, 39% were resected, 26% survived to leave hospital, but only 4% survived for 5 years (Earlam and Cuhna-Melo 1980a). * With such a low expectation of a surgical cure the main aim of treatment is often palliation. Good palliation will give maximum relief from symptoms whilst inflicting the minimum of morbidity and mortality, and for oesophageal cancer this will involve restoration of swallowing to as near normal as possible, with as little time spent in hospital as possible. Each form of palliation has its merits and also its disadvantages. Surgery probably produces the best palliation, but with the cost of considerable morbidity and mortality (Watson 1982). Radiotherapy can be effective but there is a prolonged morbidity and the amelioration of dysphagia can be slow (Earlam and Cuhna-Melo 1980b). Bougienage may need to be frequently repeated (Tytgat and den Hartog Jager 1983) and endoscopic insertion of an endoprosthesis produces a questionable degree of palliation and is not universally applicable (Lux et al. 1986).