[Efficacy of a novel fully covered radioactive stent for advanced esophageal and gastric cardia cancer: a retrospective controlled study].

To assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a novel fully covered radioactive stent for the treatment of advanced esophageal and gastric cardia cancer. Data of 122 patients, who underwent esophageal radioactive stent placement for advanced esophageal or gastric cardia cancer between January 2012 and September 2017 in Zhongda Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the novel stent group (59; 45 males, 14 females; mean age 73±10 years old) and the conventional stent group (63; 51 males, 12 females; mean age 72±9 years old), according to the types of radioactive stents. No significant difference was found between the two groups in baseline characteristics (all 0.05). Outcomes were measured in terms of technical success, dysphagia score, stent restenosis, stent migration, major complications, and overall survival. The technical success rate was 98.3% in the novel stent group, and 100.0% in the conventional stent group (0.484) . The dysphagia scores 3 days after surgery decreased from 3.27±0.45 and 3.37±0.49 to 1.25±0.66 and 1.32±0.50, respectively (all 0.01), and the variances were comparable (0.709). Compared with conventional stents, novel stents were significantly associated with a decreased in the rate of stent restenosis, 11.9% vs 27.0%; cause-specific hazard ratio 0.387, 95 0.160-0.934 (0.035); sub-distributional hazard ratio 0.401, 95 0.167-0.963 (0.041), while the stent migration rate was statistically comparable (13.6% vs 6.3%, 0.181). There was no significant difference between the novel stent group and the conventional stent group in major complications (all 0.05), including moderate-severe chest pain (22.0% vs 25.4%), hemorrhage (11.9% vs 11.1%), fistula formation (1.7% vs 4.8%), and aspiration pneumonia (5.1% vs 6.3%). The median overall survival was 146(95 115-177) days in the novel stent group, and 147(95 98-196) days in the conventional stent group, and no significant difference was found (0.967). In patients with advanced esophageal or gastric cardia cancer,placement of a novel fully covered radioactive stent is safe and effective. This novel stent can relieve dysphagia rapidly and prevent stent restenosis effectively.