Photodynamic therapy
If other therapeutic options for keeping the esophagus open fail, a feeding tube (PEG; Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) can be placed directly through the skin into the stomach. This treatment method is a minor surgical procedure. Under endoscopic control, a hollow needle (cannula) is first inserted through the skin into the stomach, where a plastic tube is inserted as a permanent connection to the stomach.
The PEG offers many advantages for the patient in contrast to a stomach tube inserted through the nose. The patient can feed himself/herself through this tube. Compared to the nasal tube, the tube is less likely to become blocked and more food can be fed at once. However, the most important point for the patient is aesthetics, as the tube disappears under clothing, invisible to others.
Prognosis
Esophageal cancer of the esophagus has an overall poor prognosis because most esophageal tumors are discovered at a late stage. 5 years after the initial diagnosis, only 15% of all tumor patients are still alive. Tumors located further down the esophagus have a slightly better prognosis.
The higher up (near the mouth) the tumor is located, the worse the prognosis. On average, tumor patients live only 8 months after the first occurrence of a swallowing disorder.