Treatment of malignant digestive tract obstruction by combined intraluminal stent installation and intra-arterial drug infusion

AIM To study the palliative treatment of malignant obstrution of digestive tract with placement of intraluminal stent combined with intra-arterial inf usion of chemotherapeutic drugs. METHODS A total of 281 cases of digestive tract malignant obstruction were given per oral (esophagus, stomach, duodenum and jejunum), per anal (colon and rectum) and percutaneous transhepatic ( biliary) installation of metall ic stent. Among them, 203 cases received drug infusion by cannulation of tu mor supplying artery with Seldinger's technique. RESULTS Altogether 350 stents were installed in 281 cases, obstructive symp toms were relieved or ameliorated after installation. Occurrence of resteno tic obstruction was 8 - 43 weeks among those with intraarterial drug infusi on, which was later than 4 - 26 weeks in the group with only stent installa tion. The average survival time of the former group was 43 (3 - 105) weeks, which was significantly longer than 13 (3 - 24) weeks of the latter group. CONCLUSION Intraluminal placement of stent combined with intra-arterial inf usion chemotherapy is one of the effective palliative therapies for maligna nt obstruction of the digestive tract with symptomatic as well as etiologic al treatment.