Objectives: Endoscopic biliary drainage is widely accepted as palliative treatment in patients with pancreatic cancer. The current study was designed to compare self-expanding metal stent and polyethylene stent in a homogeneous patient group with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Methods: The study included 154 patients initially treated with a metal or plastic stent. Median survival time, stent patency, and stent-associated hospital admissions were evaluated.
Results: The median survival time in patients treated with metal and plastic stent was 5.9 and 4.4 months (P = 0.074), respectively. Self-expanding metal stents have a significantly higher patency rate than polyethylene stents. Stent occlusion was observed in 21 (33%) of 63 patients in the plastic stent group after a median period of 57 days and in 17 (19%) of 91 patients in the metal stent group after a median period of 126 days. The total time of hospital stay after initial implantation of metal or plastic stent was 7 and 16.5 days, respectively (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Self-expanding metal stents have a longer patency than polyethylene stents. Additionally, the number of stent-associated hospital admissions and the total time of hospital stay were higher in the plastic stent group. The median survival time was not significantly different in both groups.