抄録
Since 1984, endoscopic treatments for malignant esophageal obstruction have been actively performed with the purpose of improving the QOL, of end-stage patients. There are 54 cases treated by the combination of laser and other techniques, namely, bougienage or balloon dilation. Nine of them were treated by the high-power diode laser system which is small(38×40×15cm), light (11kg) and cheap. In 4 cases, obstruction (length: 4.25cm in average were treated by the diode laser wish bougie and balloon, but in the rest 5 cases, the prosthesis or memorial metalic stent was placed in cancer tunnel (length is 9.80cm in average).
The irradiation power was 20-25 watts and 1.0 seconds and a total energy for one patient was about 6000 jouls in average.
We obtained satisfactory results without any complication in these patients.
The common meal could be taken in all the patients and they could live for 2.8-6.5 months after the treatment. These results are better than those of patients treated by the Nd-YAG laser.
Such palliative endoscopic treatments for recanaligation should be more applied for the improvement of the QOL., of end-stage cancer patients in recent future. This high-power diode laser, we consider, will be more widely utilized because of its portalibity and lower-cost.
