[Palliative treatment of inoperable tumors of the efferent bile ducts].

Our method of percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage (PTCD) and radiotherapy shows better results and prognosis in patients with inoperable tumors of the liver, biliary system and pancreas. PTCD was performed in patients with progressive obstructive jaundice due to inoperable tumors to decompress the hepatobiliary system and to reduce jaundice. This was combined with radiotherapy which was performed pre- and postoperatively and without operation. Aim of radiotherapy was to reduce the tumor and also to explore the possibility of radical operation. Radiotherapy was carried out in most patients with Linear accelerator (Linac), and in some with Betatron or Telecobalt 60. In a few cases was chosen: 1) two phase radiotherapy 2) and/or a combination of ray therapies. Inoperable tumors, which can not be excised, should be treated intraoperatively with radiation therapy. Only after a radiation with 3000-4000 rad linac, tumors showed shrinkage in size and at the same microscopic degenerative changes in tumor cells were observed.