Expandable Metallic Stent to Patients with the Locally Advanced or Recurrent Cholangiocarcinoma, Gallbladder Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer

Yukio Aomatsu, Yoshiyuki Nakajima, Hiromichi Kanehiro, Michiyoshi Hisanaga, Saiho Ko, Mitsuo Nagao, Tsunehiro Kobayashi, Hiroshi Anai*,
Hideo Uchida* and Hiroshige Nakano

First Department of Surgery, Department of Radiology*, Nara Medical University

An expandable metallic stent (EMS) for the palliation of malignant biliary obstruction has been used for improving the quality of life. In this study, we examined its long-term efficacy in cases with the locally advanced or recurrent carcinomas of the bile duct, gallbladder and pancreas. From January 1988 to March 1999, EMSs were placed in 37 patients who had been diagnosed as having locally advanced or recurrent cholangiocarcinoma (n=17), gallbladder carcinoma (n=10) and pancreatic carcinoma (n=10). The median survival of the patients with cholangiocarcinoma (7 months) and gallbladder carcinoma (4 months) was significantly longer than that of those with pancreatic carcinoma (2 months) after EMS implantation. The discharged percentage of patients of the pancreatic carcinoma (20%) was significantly lower than that of those with cholangiocarcinoma (94%) and gallbladder cancer (80%) discharged from the hospital. In conclusion, EMS is a relatively low-invasive therapy that offers a better quality of life to patients with locally advanced or recurrent cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer. We should consider whether the EMS or a plastic stent is the better choice in patients with the locally advanced or recurrent pancreatic carcinoma.

Key words
expandable metallic stent, malignant biliary obstruction, quality of life

Reprint requests
Yukio Aomatsu First Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University 840 Shijocho, Kashihara, 634-8522 JAPAN

Accepted
October 31, 2000

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