ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Esophageal cancer patients have a difficulty in the intake of meals through the blocked esophageal lumen, which is caused by an ingrowth of cancer cells and largely influences on the prognosis. It is reported that esophageal cancer has a very low survival rate due to the lack of nourishment and immunity as the result of this. In this study a new radioactive stent, which prevents tumor ingrowth and restenosis by additional radiation treatment, has been developed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using HANARO research reactor, the radioactive stent assembly (166Ho-SA) was prepared by covering the metallic stent with a radioactive sleeve by means of a post-irradiation and pre-irradiation methods. RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy and autoradiography exhibited that the distribution of 165/166Ho (NO3) compounds in polyurethane matrix was homogeneous. A geometrical model of the esophagus considering its structural properties, was developed for the computer simulation of energy deposition to the esophageal wall. The dose distributions of 166Ho-stent were calculated by means of the EGS4 code system. The sources are considered to be distributed uniformly on the surface in the form of a cylinder with a diameter of 20 mm and length of 40 mm. As an animal experiment, when radioactive stent developed in this study was inserted into the esophagus of a Mongrel dog, tissue destruction and widening of the esophageal lumen were observed. CONCLUSION: We have developed a new radioactive stent comprising of a radioactive tubular sleeve covering the metallic stent, which emits homogeneous radiation. If it is inserted into the blocked or narrowed lumen, it can lead to local destruction of the tumor due to irradiation effect with dilatation resulting from self-expansion of the metallic property. Accordingly, it is expected that restenosis esophageal lumen by the continuous ingrowth and infiltration of cancer after insertion of our radioactive stent will be decreased remarkably.