RESUMO
CONTEXT: Esophageal cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and has a poor prognosis. Most patients with advanced esophageal cancer have significant dysphagia that contributes to weight loss and malnutrition. Esophageal stenting is a widespread palliation approach, but unsuitable for cancers near the upper esophageal sphincter, were stents are poorly tolerated. Generally, guidelines do not support endoscopic gastrostomy in this clinical setting, but it may be the best option for nutritional support. OBJECTIVE: Retrospective evaluation of patients with dysphagia caused advanced esophageal cancer, no expectation of resuming oral intake and with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for comfort palliative nutrition. METHOD: We selected adult patients with unresecable esophageal cancer histological confirmed, in whom stenting was impossible due to proximal location, and chemotherapy or radiotherapy were palliative, using gastrostomy for enteral nutrition. Clinical and nutritional data were evaluated, including success of gastrostomy, procedure complications and survival after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, and evolution of body mass index, albumin, transferrin and cholesterol. RESULTS: Seventeen males with stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 60.9 years. Most of the patients had toxic habits. All underwent palliative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Gastrostomy was successfully performed in all, but nine required prior dilatation. Most had the gastrostomy within 2 months after diagnosis. There was a buried bumper syndrome treated with tube replacement and four minor complications. There were no cases of implantation metastases or procedure related mortality. Two patients were lost and 12 died. Mean survival of deceased patients was 5.9 months. Three patients are alive 6, 14 and 17 months after the gastrostomy procedure, still increasing the mean survival. Mean body mass index and laboratory parameters were roughly stable 1 and 3 months after the gastrostomy procedure. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with advanced upper esophageal cancer where only palliative treatment is possible, nutritional support is easily achieved with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, allowing patients to be at homes, surviving a significant period of time. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding should be considered as standard definitive nutritional palliation in patients with upper esophageal cancer, unsuitable for esophageal stenting.
Assuntos
Transtornos de Deglutição/complicações , Neoplasias Esofágicas/complicações , Gastrostomia/métodos , Desnutrição/terapia , Adulto , Idoso , Albuminas/análise , Índice de Massa Corporal , Colesterol/sangue , Humanos , Masculino , Desnutrição/etiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Cuidados Paliativos/métodos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Análise de Sobrevida , Transferrinas/sangueRESUMO
CONTEXT: Esophageal cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and has a poor prognosis. Most patients with advanced esophageal cancer have significant dysphagia that contributes to weight loss and malnutrition. Esophageal stenting is a widespread palliation approach, but unsuitable for cancers near the upper esophageal sphincter, were stents are poorly tolerated. Generally, guidelines do not support endoscopic gastrostomy in this clinical setting, but it may be the best option for nutritional support. OBJECTIVE: Retrospective evaluation of patients with dysphagia caused advanced esophageal cancer, no expectation of resuming oral intake and with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for comfort palliative nutrition. METHOD: We selected adult patients with unresecable esophageal cancer histological confirmed, in whom stenting was impossible due to proximal location, and chemotherapy or radiotherapy were palliative, using gastrostomy for enteral nutrition. Clinical and nutritional data were evaluated, including success of gastrostomy, procedure complications and survival after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, and evolution of body mass index, albumin, transferrin and cholesterol. RESULTS: Seventeen males with stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 60.9 years. Most of the patients had toxic habits. All underwent palliative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Gastrostomy was successfully performed in all, but nine required prior dilatation. Most had the gastrostomy within 2 months after diagnosis. There was a buried bumper syndrome treated with tube replacement and four minor complications. There were no cases of implantation metastases or procedure related mortality. Two patients were lost and 12 died. Mean survival of deceased patients was 5.9 months. Three patients are alive 6, 14 and 17 months after the gastrostomy procedure, still increasing the mean survival. Mean body mass index and laboratory parameters were roughly stable 1 and 3 months after the gastrostomy procedure. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with advanced upper esophageal cancer where only palliative treatment is possible, nutritional support is easily achieved with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, allowing patients to be at homes, surviving a significant period of time. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding should be considered as standard definitive nutritional palliation in patients with upper esophageal cancer, unsuitable for esophageal stenting.
CONTEXTO: O câncer do esôfago é frequentemente diagnosticado num estádio avançado, com mau prognóstico. A maioria dos pacientes com câncer avançado do esôfago sofre de disfagia que contribui para a desnutrição e perda de peso. A colocação de endopróteses é uma forma de paliação muito difundida. Contudo, as próteses muito próximas do esfíncter esofágico superior são mal toleradas pelos doentes, não sendo uma opção adequada se o câncer for muito proximal. Habitualmente, as recomendações para gastrostomia percutânea não incluem a paliação nutricional nestes doentes, mas a gastrostomia percutânea endoscópica pode ser a melhor forma de suporte nutricional no câncer avançado. OBJETIVO: Avaliação retrospectiva dos doentes com disfagia por câncer avançado do esôfago em que a gastrostomia percutânea endoscópica foi a forma de paliação nutricional, sem expectativa de retomar a ingestão oral. MÉTODO: Selecionaram-se doentes adultos com câncer irressecável do esôfago, com confirmação histológica e com localização proximal, impedindo a colocação de prótese, com a radioterapia e quimioterapia paliativas, usando a gastrostomia percutânea endoscópica para a nutrição entérica. Avaliaram-se dados clínicos e laboratoriais, incluindo o sucesso da gastrostomia, complicações e sobrevida após a gastrostomia e evolução do índice de massa corporal, albumina, transferrina e colesterol. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 17 homens com carcinoma epidermoide no estádio III ou IV, com média de idade de 60,9 anos. A maioria consumia tabaco e bebidas alcoólicas. Todos foram submetidos a radioterapia ou quimioterapia. A gastrostomia endoscópica foi bem-sucedida em todos, embora nove tenham necessitado de dilatação prévia. A maioria foi gastrostomizada nos 2 meses subsequentes ao diagnóstico. Ocorreu uma "buried bumper syndrome", resolvida com substituição do tubo e quatro complicações menores. Não houve implantação de metástases, nem mortalidade associada ao procedimento. Dois doentes foram perdidos e 12 morreram. Três doentes estão vivos 6, 14 e 17 meses após a gastrostomia e ainda estão aumentando a sobrevida média. Os valores médios do índice de massa corporal e da avaliação laboratorial mantiveram-se estáveis 1 e 3 meses após a gastrostomia. CONCLUSÃO: Em pacientes com câncer avançado do esôfago, em que só a terapêutica paliativa é possível, o suporte nutricional é facilmente obtido com gastrostomia percutânea endoscópica, permitindo aos pacientes permanecer em suas casas por um longo período. A nutrição por gastrostomia percutânea endoscópica deveria ser considerada, por rotina, como a opção definitiva para paliação nutricional em pacientes com câncer do esôfago proximal em que a colocação de prótese não é possível.