Self-expandable metallic stents for malignant biliary obstruction: Efficacy on proximal and distal tumors

AIM: To compare the efficacy of self-expandable metallic stents (EMS) in the treatment of distal and proximal stricture of malignant biliary tumors. METHODS: From March 1995 to June 2004, 61 patients (40 males, 21 females) with malignant biliary obstruction who received self-expandable metallic stent implantation were reviewed retrospectively. The stents were inserted by an endoscopic or percutaneous transhepatic method. We tried to place two stents in the biliary system in T or Y configuration in cases of hilar tumors with bilateral hepatic duct obstruction. The end points of the study were stent occlusion or patient death. RESULTS: The mean time of stent patency was 421 +/- 67 d in the group of proximal stricture( group I) and 168 +/- 18 d in the group of distal stricture (group II). The difference was significant in borderline between the two groups (P=0.0567). The mean survival time was 574 +/- 76 d in group I and 182 +/- 25 d in group II. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.0005). CONCLUSION: EMS implantation is a feasible, palliative method for unresectable malignant biliary obstruction. The clinical efficacy of EMS in patients with proximal hilar tumors is better than that in patients with distal tumors. (C) 2006 The WJG Press. All rights reserved.