Abstract
We applied the Nd: YAG laser to 75 patients with advanced cancer in the upper G. I. tract for improving the stricture. In the 75 patients, 27 were treated by the noncontact irradiation method and 48 were by the contact method. For evaluating an effect of the stricture improvement, we studied from two points of view. One was the frequency of the laser treatment until making an endoscope passed through the stricture, and the other was the time occupied for the improvement of diet.
The former in the contact method was lower than that in the non-contact method (P<0.05). The latter in the contact method was more rapid than that in the non-contact method (P<0.05).
The findings resulted from the contact method to be superior to the non-contact in view of as follows: 1) shorter time occupied for the improvement of diet, 2) less difficulty of treatment of the stricture in the pyloric region, that in the post-operative stoma, and linitis plastica type of cardiac region, 3) accuracy in the target irradiation, and 4) occasionally minor bleeding, a field lens little covered with soot, and visual field keeping clear, in the contact method.
