The impact of prior radiotherapy on fatal complications after self‐expandable metallic stents (SEMS) for malignant dysphagia due to esophageal carcinoma

The esophageal stent has been demonstrated to serve as a safe and effective palliative treatment for advanced inoperable esophageal carcinoma. However, the safety of esophageal stents in patients with prior radiotherapy (RT) remains debated. This article aims to investigate the impact of prior RT on the incidence of fatal complications after self‐expandable metallic stents for palliation of malignant dysphagia because of esophageal carcinoma. Between January 2007 and July 2010, 93 patients with malignant dysphagia because of esophageal carcinoma underwent placement of self‐expandable metallic stents in our hospital. Patients were retrospectively separated into two groups: patients with RT before stent placement (RT group, n = 57) and patients with no treatment before stent placement (no RT group, n = 35).The median survival after stent placement was 77 days (7–842 days) in the RT group and 246 days (15–878 days) in the no RT group. Improvement in dysphagia score was similar in both groups. The fatal complications included fatal gastrointestinal hemorrhage and uncontrolled pneumonia. The incidence of fatal gastrointestinal hemorrhage and uncontrolled pneumonia were 28.1% and 5.7% (P = 0.009), 28.1% and 5.7% (P = 0.009), respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant interaction between prior RT and fatal gastrointestinal hemorrhage (relative risk 7.82, 95% confidence interval 1.54–39.61; P = 0.013). Mortality of massive hemorrhage was 5.7% (2/35), 0% (0/4), 12.5% (3/24), and 44.8% (13/29), respectively, in patients who received 0, 1Gy～49Gy, 50Gy～60Gy, and >60Gy (χ² = 17.761; P = 0.000). Logistic regression analysis disclosed prior RT did not significantly increase the risk of uncontrolled pneumonia (relative risk 1.47, 95% confidence interval 0.21–10.12; P = 0.697).