Tumor stenoses of the upper gastrointestinal tract--therapeutic alternatives to laser therapy.

Alternatives to laser treatment of tumor stenoses of upper gastrointestinal tract include dilatation, implantation of bridging tubes, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Based on the experience of 170 bridging tubes implanted and laser therapy in 70 patients with tumor stenoses (presented elsewhere) "tubes and laser" are compared. Complication rate, applicability in very proximal and distal stenoses are in favour of laser therapy, costs, hospitalisation time, possibility to occlude fistulae and short recurrence time after laser therapy are facts speaking for oesophageal bridging tubes. The question "tubes or laser" has to be answered by "tubes and laser" already.