Optimal Management of Malignant Dysphagia

According to the Canadian Cancer Society there are approximately 1700 new cases of esophageal cancer per year in Canada. As most of these patients are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, 1800 deaths are estimated from this cancer annually . Progressive dysphagia is the most common presenting symptom and impacts not only the patient's quality of life but the ability to tolerate life prolonging treatments such as systemic chemotherapy. Although there are several therapeutic modalities to alleviate malignant dysphagia including laser, photodynamic therapy and cryotherapy , the use of stents and radiotherapy are the most commonly employed. However, the optimal approach to effective, timely treatment of malignant dysphagia remains a challenge. The investigators conducted a preliminary retrospective review to investigate such palliation procedures and found that a multi-modality approach may yield the most favourable results . Therefore, our clinical trial will examine the effectiveness of adding a single dose of brachytherapy to patients with severe dysphagia who have already been treated with a endoscopically placed self-expanding metallic stent.