Palliation of carcinoma of the oesophagus with brachytherapy and the Didcott dilator.

Forty-one patients with oesophageal cancer who developed strictures after high dose rate intraluminal brachytherapy were dilated using a slow continuous dilator (Didcott dilator). After dilatation, all patients were evaluated monthly for relief of dysphagia. At the end of the 1st month, 41 patients were evaluable: 28 had no dysphagia while 13 had improvement; at the end of the 2nd month, 40 were evaluable, 26 had no dysphagia while 14 had …