RESUMO
Objective To assess the clinical value of the implantation of 125I seed-loading stent in treating middle-late stage esophageal cancer.Methods A total of 64 patients with middle-late stage esophageal cancer,who were treated with esophageal stent implantation during the period from July 2013 to December 2015,were included in this study.According to patient's own will,the patients were divided into group A (n=28,using conventional stent) and group B (n=36,using 125I seed stent).Based on the treatment planning system (TPS) and tumor morphology,conformal comprehensive isodose distribution of 125I seeds was formulated.The success rate of stent implantation,the complication rate,the improvement rate of dysphagia,the stent patency rate,the average hospitalization days,the hospitalization expenses and the survival time were compared between the two groups.Results In both groups,the success rate of stent implantation and the improvement rate of dysphagia were all 100％.The 12-month stent patency rate of group B was evidently higher than that of group A,and the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).No statistically significant difference in the average hospitalization days existed between the two groups (P＞O.05).The mean hospitalization expenses between the two groups was statistically significant (P＜0.05),with the mean medical expense in group B being 13,769.57 RMB more than that in group A.Both the mean survival time and the median survival time of group B were longer than those of group A (P＜0.05).Conclusion It is safe and effective to use 125I seed stent to treat middle-late stage esophageal cancer.This technique can evidently prolong the survival time of patients,although its medical cost is higher than that of the ordinary stent.