Mortality in patients with esophageal and gastroesophageal tumors treated with self-expandable stents

Introduction: Esophageal cancer is an aggressive disease and is the eighth cause of malignant tumors worldwide. To treat dysphagia, auto expandable prosthesis (AEP) are used in order to optimize the nutritional status and quality of life of the patients.Objectives: To quantify patients’ mortality and to evaluate variables related with this outcome.Materials and methods: Retrospective cohort study that involved 135 patients with esophageal malignant obstruction that required AEP insertion. Survival and incidence density rates were estimated. The effect of these variables on the probability of death was assessed by using Cox models.Results: Overall mortality rate was 13.7 deaths per 100 patients/month (95%CI: 10.9-17.1). Univariate analysis showed significant differences in survival functions according to pre-intervention albumin levels and the prosthesis size (12cm). In the Cox model, albumin level (HR=0.53, 95%CI 0.31 to 0.89) was the only significant result.Conclusions: AEP represent a therapeutic option to improve symptoms in patients with advanced esophageal and gastroesophageal junction tumors. This technique has few complications and its clinical success is around 90%. Patients’ nutritional status and length of the stenosis caused by the tumor are variables that must be evaluated before performing a procedure as they seem to be related to mortality.Introduction: Esophageal cancer is an aggressive disease and is the eighth cause of malignant tumors worldwide. To treat dysphagia, auto expandable prosthesis (AEP) are used in order to optimize the nutritional status and quality of life of the patients.Objectives: To quantify patients’ mortality and to evaluate variables related with this outcome.Materials and methods: Retrospective cohort study that involved 135 patients with esophageal malignant obstruction that required AEP insertion. Survival and incidence density rates were estimated. The effect of these variables on the probability of death was assessed by using Cox models.Results: Overall mortality rate was 13.7 deaths per 100 patients/month (95%CI: 10.9-17.1). Univariate analysis showed significant differences in survival functions according to pre-intervention albumin levels and the prosthesis size (12cm). In the Cox model, albumin level (HR=0.53, 95%CI 0.31 to 0.89) was the only significant result.Conclusions: AEP represent a therapeutic option to improve symptoms in patients with advanced esophageal and gastroesophageal junction tumors. This technique has few complications and its clinical success is around 90%. Patients’ nutritional status and length of the stenosis caused by the tumor are variables that must be evaluated before performing a procedure as they seem to be related to mortality.Indexación Introducción. El cáncer de esófago es una entidad agresiva y la octava causa de tumores malignos en el mundo. Para manejar la disfagia se insertan prótesis esofágicas autoexpandibles (PEA) que optimizan la ingesta y permiten mejorar el estado nutricional y la calidad de vida de los pacientes.Objetivos. Cuantificar la mortalidad en los pacientes y evaluar las variables asociadas con este desenlace.Materiales y métodos. Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo realizado en 135 pacientes con obstrucción esofágica maligna que requirieron inserción de PEA. Se estimó la función de supervivencia, se calcularon tasas de incidencia y se evaluó el efecto de las variables descritas sobre la probabilidad de morir utilizando modelos de Cox.Resultados. La tasa de mortalidad fue de 13.7 muertes por 100 pacientes/mes (IC95%: 10.9-17.1). Los análisis univariados mostraron diferencias significativas en las funciones de supervivencia según niveles de albúmina previa y tamaño de la prótesis (12cm). En el modelo de Cox solo resultó significativo el nivel de albúmina (HR=0.53, IC95%: 0.31-0.89).Conclusiones. Las PEA representan una alternativa de mejoría de síntomas en pacientes con tumores esofágicos en estadios avanzados. Esta técnica presenta pocas complicaciones y tiene probabilidades de éxito técnico y clínico cercanas al 90%. El estado nutricional del paciente y la longitud de la estenosis producida por el tumor son variables que deben evaluarse antes de cada procedimiento ya que parecen relacionarse con la mortalidad.