We reviewed our results of using stents for palliation of cancer of the lower third of the esophagus and gastric cardia. During a 14-year period, 76 patients with either lower third esophageal cancer (n = 43) or cancer of the gastric cardia (n = 33) received stents for palliation of malignant dysphagia. Successful endoscopic placement was initially achieved in all patients, with 71 patients available for follow-up. Of these, 40 (56%) were subsequently able to eat solid or semi-solid food, 25 (35%) could swallow only liquids, and 6 (8%) were unimproved. The combined early and late complication rate totalled 22%. Early complications included perforation (n = 3) and stent migration (n = 4); late complications consisted of dislodgment (n = 6), obstruction by tumor (n = 2), and severe esophagitis (n = 1). There were no procedure-related deaths, but survival at 1 year was estimated to be only 1.5%, with a median survival of 2.5 months after stent insertion. The endoscopic placement of prosthetic stents for cancer of the distal esophagus and gastric cardia entails a higher complication rate, less successful palliation, and shorter survival time compared to similar treatment for more proximal esophageal cancer.
