The clinical research of the endoscopic sequential treatment for patients with intermediate–advanced esophageal cancer: a randomized clinical trial

We tried to find an ideal therapeutic regimen for patients with advanced esophageal cancer. Totally 240 patients with advanced esophageal cancer were randomly divided into experimental group (endoscopic sequential treatment, 126 cases) and control group (traditional treatment, 114 cases) with a 2-year follow-up period. The experimental group was randomly divided into three subgroups: group A: local chemotherapeutic drug injection with ordinary metal stent implantation; group B: local chemotherapeutic drug injection with iodine-125 particle implantation; and group C: radiofrequency (RF) therapy with ordinary metal stent group. The control group was also randomly divided into three subgroups: group D: local chemotherapeutic drug injection group; group E: RF therapy group; and group F: common metal stent implantation group. The survival rate, survival quality, adverse reactions, and complications were compared among these groups. A significant improvement of curative effect was found in the experimental group. Group A and B had higher survival rate and survival quality, and lower esophagotracheal fistula incidence and metastasis rate, compared with group C. There was no significant difference in survival rate between group A and group B, while the quality of life was higher in group B than in group A. While patients in group B had lower esophagotracheal fistula incidence and metastasis rate comparing with group A. Local chemotherapeutic drug injection combined with iodine-125 particle stent might be an effective sequential treatment to improve the life quality of advanced esophageal cancer patients.