Analysis of longterm survivors with expandable metallic stent inserted for malignant biliary stenosis

Background/Purpose. Some patients with unresectable malignant biliary stenosis can survive for more than 1 year after the insertion of self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS). The aim of this study was to analyze the background of the longterm survivors. Methods. In our study, 111 patients with inserted SEMS were divided into two groups: patients who died within 1 year and patients still alive for more than 1 year. The parameters analyzed were survival rate, survival period, patent period of the inserted SEMS, adjuvant therapy, and complications. Results. The number of those who survived for more than 1 year totaled 24 (21.6%). Their diagnoses were bile duct carcinoma (15/31; 48.4%) and pancreas carcinoma (9/28; 32.9%). There were no survivors with other diseases. The survival period and stent-patent period of the patients with bile duct carcinoma (429.2 days and 589.7 days, respectively) and pancreas carcinoma (270.1 days and 336.4 days, respectively) were significantly longer than those of the patients with other diseases. The specific complication of the longterm survivors was duodenal obstruction. Conclusions. Many patients with bile duct carcinoma and pancreas carcinoma survived for more than 1 year and adjuvant therapy should be performed to improve the survival of those patients. Received: April 24, 2002 / Accepted: October 23, 2002 RID="*" ID="*" Offprint requests to: H. Kawamoto