For advanced esophageal cancer, consider placing an esophageal stent to help improve the condition and relieve symptoms for a short period of time.
Because the tumor is advanced and the best time for surgery has been lost, the patient is in an extremely debilitated state and can no longer tolerate surgery, often with anemia, low protein and other cachexia, and an esophageal stent can be considered to restore the patency of the esophagus and the patient can eat normally, which helps to quickly restore the body’s nutrition in a short period of time and thus can improve the condition.
Because placing an esophageal stent, which is a palliative conservative treatment, does not kill the cancer cells or stop the tumor from continuing to grow, it cannot treat the disease at its root, but can only relieve the symptoms and falls under the category of symptomatic treatment. However, the patient resumes the diet, which can play a role in improving the symptoms. As the disease continues to develop, cancer cells can metastasize to the surrounding area, there will be stiffness of the esophageal wall and infiltration of surrounding cancer cells, and if strong anti-cancer treatment measures cannot be taken, the patient’s life will eventually end because of the tumor.