Spray freezing offers quick swallow relief for esophageal cancer patients

NCT ID NCT02606396

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This pilot study tested whether spray cryotherapy (freezing the tumor from inside the esophagus) can quickly improve swallowing in 15 patients with advanced esophageal cancer who were about to start chemotherapy and radiation. The goal was to ease difficulty swallowing sooner than standard treatment alone. Patients received cryotherapy during a routine endoscopy, and their symptoms were checked by phone 2 and 4 weeks later.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

spray cryotherapy (freezing the tumor from inside the esophagus using an endoscope)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could provide a fast way to ease trouble swallowing in patients with advanced esophageal cancer while they wait for chemotherapy and radiation to take effect.

What could go wrong

This is a very small pilot study with only 15 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The improvement might be minor or temporary, and there are risks from the endoscopy and freezing procedure.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Adenocarcinoma Of Esophagus esophageal adenocarcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Center for Advanced Medicine

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States